Paradise Down In Flames
by Rainb0wNinja
Summary: Ichigo gets captured by the Vandenreich, and it's up to Grimmjow to save him. However, before Ichigo was captured, he and Grimmjow got into a bad argument, and it ultimately destroyed their already rocky relationship. Can Grimmjow find and save Ichigo, make up for his mistakes, and prove to the berry that he still loves him? Or will Ichigo perish? T for cursing, violence, torture.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here we are, the sequel to Finding You In This Hell Hole****! This chapter is merely a recap of that story, so you don't really have to go back and read it, unless you want to. It may help you out, though I tried to make this have the least amount of confusion possible. This chappy does explain somewhat new things, so you should read this even if you've read the first story. It's at the end...in case you feel like skipping. Anyways, on with the recap!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

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"Oi, Grimm, wake up already." An aggravated Ichigo Kurosaki said, trying (and failing) to wake his lover up.

"Hmmm, five more minutes." Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez grumbled sleepily in response, rolling over and promptly falling back asleep.

"Lazy ass." Ichigo muttered, deciding to just get up himself.

_'To think, about five months ago, I was in Hueco Mundo searching for him. Hm..a lots changed since then.'_ Ichigo thought, remembering how his life had suddenly changed that day.

_'I still remember it like it was yesterday...I had been having strange dreams about him, and after a while it really started to creep me out. So, for some odd reason, I felt the need to go search for him. For a while, I really thought he was dead, and it bothered me, but then he was suddenly there, just watching me. I passed out from exhaustion, and he took me to a small shack he had built in the Menos Forest. After he teased me about being worried, he told me the truth. That bastard made me have dreams about him just to mess with me! You know, to this day, I still don't know how he did it. _

_Anyways, I felt bad for him, since he was the only one left in Hueco Mundo. So, I brought him home with me. Yeah, big mistake. After making a mess in my room, he goes out and robs a bank and a jewelry store! And then buys a freaking mansion, a car, a gigai from Urahara and who knows what else! Now of course, I had to go find him, but what an even bigger mistake that was. We argued, but before I could kick his ass, Urahara busted in and ultimately told me to live with the psycho for two weeks, to see if he was trustworthy. Needless to say, we didn't get along well, and our spiritual pressure ended up getting too high. So, Urahara (being the genius he is) handcuffed us together so we would get along. Man, what an awkward week that was. But, during that time, we ended up bonding and getting close. It was then that I realized I was gay, and liked Grimmjow. _

_Eventually, the handcuffs got removed, and shortly after me and Grimmjow shared our first kiss. It took a little while, but we ended up being a couple. I had to leave his house, after deeming him safe, and went back to my house. Something totally amazing happened after that. Yes, we had sex. Quite a lot, if I may add. Shirosaki told me how hollows mate, and despite myself, I went with it. And yes, I did eventually come out on top, but I didn't do it to dominate him. After that, I enrolled him into school, and he got a new gigai which made him look more human. Damn..he looked good. Well, he still does, since he still has it on. _

_Anyways, after explaining to my friends that he was cool, they accepted it. Rukia also accepted it, along with Renji and some others, and everything was perfect for a little bit. But of course, something ruined it. The espada were resurrected, thanks to Gin and the hogyoku, and they ended up fighting us. The soul society came and helped, and it ended pretty fast although Grimmjow did almost die and I had to give him a piece of my soul to keep him alive, but at the time I didn't know if Ichimaru and Tosen were alive. So, I went to the soul society and asked around. However, while I was gone, Nnoitra came and kidnapped Grimmjow, after tearing his arm off. By the time I could make it back to Hueco Mundo, he had already died. Apparently, the hogyoku could keep resurrecting them so long as Gin wanted it, and Grimmjow did come back. He didn't remember the time we spent together, since they brainwashed him, and ended up attacking me. He almost killed me, but the hogyoku started reviving me. It healed me enough to go find Grimmjow, who in a fit of rage (after remembering our love) killed the espada and Tosen. _

_I confronted Gin, and after some convincing, he destroyed the hogyoku. We almost killed him, but after some convincing from Rangiku, decided to put him under watch in the tenth division. Everyone was happy after that, and Grimmjow decided to sell the mansion. He now lives with me, and we've been doing pretty good. Sure, we argue sometimes, but it's nothing too serious. Sometimes he just seems so detached though, and he doesn't really express himself. It's like he keeps his emotions bottled up, and no matter what I do, he doesn't tell me anything. Lately, it's really been bothering me. We've been arguing a little more than usual, and I feel like we're drifting apart. I still love him, and I make sure he knows it. But...I don't know if he feels the same. I'm starting to feel like our perfect little life is falling apart..'_ A sudden loud snore started Ichigo out of his thoughts, making him jump and fall ungracefully off the bed and onto his bum.

"Lazy ass bastard!" He yelled, even though he knew Grimmjow wouldn't hear him.

"Che..why do I even bother?" Ichigo sighed, and just as he stood, his substitute soul reaper badge went off, signaling that there was a hollow. He took one last glance at Grimmjow before shaking his head and slamming his combat pass into his chest and hopping out the window. It was going to be one of those days.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that about sums it up, yes? The next chapter, which I'm posting right after this one, is the official first chapter. This was just a recap/ sneak peak, I suppose. Ah, it's confusing. Just read the next chapter, it gets better. Oh, and review, por favor!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter Two! Though, really it's chapter one. Man, I should have organized this better. I'm even confusing myself, at this point. If you are confused too, just message me and I'll try to explain things and answer questions. Onwards!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

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Ichigo followed the hollows spiritual pressure, trying to focus on where it was. He may not be the best as sensing reiatsu, but over the years he has improved. When he reached it, however, he was surprised to see not one, but two large hollows. One was holding something black, and when he got closer, he realized a shinigami was on the ground. In fact, the hollow was also grasping a shinigami. They both looked injured, which prompted Ichigo to quickly dispose of them before checking on the two fallen soul reapers. While the girl was unconscious, the boy seemed to be slightly aware of what had happened, so Ichigo decided to introduce himself.

"Substitute soul reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. Are you alright?" He asked, knealing down on one knee.

"Ichigo...Kurosaki..?" Was all the boy said before finally passing out. Ichigo sweat dropped, not knowing what to do now.

_'Well...I can't just leave them here. Damn...Grimm's not gonna like this.'_ Ichigo thought before lifting up the two shinigami and flash stepping back home.

* * *

"What. The FUCK. Is THIS?!" A very angry Grimmjow yelled, having apparently woken up right after Ichigo left. Said strawberry sighed and did his best to ignore his pissed off lover, carefully laying each soul reaper down on the spare hospital beds in their home. He then whipped out his phone, dialing Orihime's number.

"Don't you ignore me! What the hell is this shit?!"

"Oi, Inoue? I need a favor...yeah...can you come right now? Thanks, see you soon." Ichigo flipped his phone shut, walking over to unlock the front door. He then went back to observe the two he had rescued, noticing how they kind of looked the same. The boy had black hair, with three circular hair clips on one side and two on the other. He looked very fragile, and had some bad injuries. The girl also had dark hair, looking petite and kind of tomboy-ish. Her hair was short, and she wore a piece of black cloth in it.

"I'm serious, Ichigo! Explain, now!" Grimmjow yelled, flailing his arms like a mad man. Ichigo's patience finally snapped, and he roughly grabbed the ex espada's shoulders, giving them a firm shake.

"What was I suppose to do?! They were _injured_, and I can't just leave them there! Just let me take care of this, dammit!" He yelled, feeling a head ache coming on.

"You _could_ have left them there! It's not _your_ damn responsibility!" Grimmjow screamed back, shoving Ichigo away.

"It _is_ my responsibility! I actually have a _heart_, unlike you!"

"Uhm...is this a bad time? Ichigo?" A timid voice asked from the door, making both men freeze. Orihime stood in the doorway, looking rather frightened at the sight before her. She thought Ichigo and Grimmjow were madly in love, so to see them fighting so viciously was shocking, to say the least.

"Oh..Orihime..n-no, it's fine. Come here." Ichigo said, backing away from the still fuming Grimmjow who proceeded to storm upstairs and slam the door shut. Orihime didn't miss the sad look in Ichigo's brown eyes, but decided not to ask about it. It wasn't her business, after all, and even if she asked it wasn't like Ichigo would tell her.

"What did you need me for, Ichigo?" She asked, following Ichigo to where the mini hospital part of their house was located.

"I need you to heal these two, okay? They were injured during a fight, and...I couldn't just leave them." Ichigo replied, sounding slightly frustrated at the end of his sentence. Orihime assumed it had something to do with the argument.

"Oh, of course! I'll get right on it!" She exclaimed, bringing out her orange healing barrier. Ichigo watched somberly, not daring to go check on Grimmjow. Honestly, he wasn't sure where they went wrong. At this point, he didn't even know if the blue haired man loved him, and he _didn't_ want to ask.

"How have you been, by the way?" Ichigo asked, wanting to take his mind off Grimmjow.

"Oh, I've been just fine! It's so nice now that schools over, I've been able to relax and practice cooking! But...how have you been?" She asked hesitantly, not wanting to make him feel worse.

"I've been..great. Lifes gotten easier since graduation, hasn't it?" Ichigo said, smiling sadly. In all honesty, he did miss school a little bit. Since graduation, he hasn't seen his friends as much, and he had started feeling isolated.

"It sure has. I do kinda miss Mrs. Ochi and Tatsuki, and Keigo and Mizuiro, and just all of them! But relaxing sure is nice." Orihime said, as if reading Ichigo's mind. At least he wasn't the only one missing it. Grimmjow didn't miss anything, of course.

_'There I go thinking about him again...'_ Ichigo mentally sighed.

"Yeah...it is.." He said, beginning to zone out. Orihime's barrier vanished, signaling that the healing process had finished.

"Well, that should do it! I'm not sure when they'll wake up, but it should be soon! Just tell me when they do, okay? I'm curious to see who they are." Orihime exclaimed, smiling happily.

"Yeah, sure, thanks Orihime." Ichigo said, still not really paying attention. Orihime's smile faltered, and she took a moment to notice how tired Ichigo looked.

"Well...I'll just be going then." She said, still trying to sound happy. Ichigo nodded, walking her to the door.

"Thanks again, Orihime. I really appreciate it." Ichigo said meaningfully, offering a smile. Orihime returned it, waving as she walked away. Ichigo reluctantly closed the door, knowing that now he had to talk to Grimmjow.

_'And say what? I didn't do anything wrong...he's the one getting all mad for nothing. It's not like those two will be in the way. They'll wake up and leave, that's it. Why is it so bad that I care? I can't care about people? Ugh...'_ Ichigo groaned, rubbing his temples and flopping down onto the couch. His eyes burned, but he refused to let his angry tears fall out. He decided to just wait until Grimmjow calmed down and approached him instead.

**A few hours later...**

Ichigo blinked slowly, trying to remember what happened. He was on the couch, and it was daylight outside, but now it was dark. Sitting up, he realized he must have fallen asleep. What he didn't remember, however, was getting a blanket and draping it over himself. That could only mean someone else had seen him sleeping and actually showed some kindness, meaning Grimmjow had indeed calmed down. Speaking of the blue haired devil, Grimmjow was at the kitchen table, waiting for Ichigo to wake up.

"Hey." Was all he said, making Ichigo mentally scoff. Knowing Grimmjow, he was probably about to give a half assed apology and then pretend like nothing happened.

"Hey." Ichigo said back, his voice lacking any trace of enthusiasm.

"Look, I just wanted to say sorry, okay? I guess I overreacted a little. I just wasn't expecting it, you know? So...yeah, sorry." He said, his face void of any emotion. Ichigo wanted to roll his eyes, but decided against it. It would ultimately end up starting another argument.

"Don't worry about it." Ichigo said, although he really wanted to say that it wasn't okay. There's a lot he wanted to say to Grimmjow, but it was better to keep it locked away. If Grimmjow could do that with his emotions, then Ichigo could do it with his thoughts.

"So, what's for dinner? Yuzu still isn't back yet...or Karin, or your Dad. You feel like cooking?" Grimmjow said, returning to his original self.

"I guess." Ichigo sighed, not really feeling like cooking at all. Since Grimmjow sure as hell wouldn't cook, it was up to Ichigo yet again, and if he wasn't hungry too, he would walk away right now.

"When are those two gonna get out?" Grimmjow asked, referring to the shinigami. Ichigo clenched his fist, but kept his temper in check.

"Orihime said they should wake up soon, but it might take a day or so. After that, they'll leave." Ichigo said, hoping Grimmjow would just drop it.

"A day? Che...whatever. As long as they get out of here I don't care." The former sexta grumbled, making Ichigo clench his fists more, digging his nails into the skin. He decided to just stay quiet, not trusting his voice at the moment. Grimmjow didn't necessarily hate soul reapers, not like he used to anyways. They did however make him feel on edge, and a little uncomfortable.

"Are you feeling okay, Ichi?" Grimmjow asked, noticing how tense his lover was. He didn't mean to piss him off, he was just being himself.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." Ichigo said, finding his own statement an _under_statement. He was tired, but not from lack of sleep. He was tired of Grimmjow being so distant and reserved, never telling him anything, being a jerk, always wanting sex even if Ichigo wasn't up for it. He loved the guy, he truly did, but he felt like their once happy relationship was turning into an unhealthy one, one that lacked communication and trust and honesty.

"Ugh...where am I?" A voice suddenly asked, making Grimmjow and Ichigo jump. They looked over, and saw that the female shinigami had woken up.

"Oh, hello. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper, and you're in my house in Karakura Town. I brought you and your friend here after you got injured from fighting those hollows." Ichigo explained, noticing how Grimmjow glared at the girl.

"Ryunosuke?" She asked, looking over at her friend. She then walked over and proceeded to slap him, trying to wake him up.

"Oi, idiot! Wake up! We have to get back to Captain Ukitake!" She yelled, resorting to shaking her friend. She huffed angrily when he didn't wake up.

"You fool," She sighed, and then noticed Grimmjow glaring at her, "And you! What's with that look, huh? You got a problem!"

"Yeah, I do actually! I've got an annoying, flat chested shinigami here stinking up the place!" Grimmjow yelled, standing up and shaking a fist at her. Ichigo decided it was best to step in, but was hit squarely in the jaw, blacking out afterwards. The punch was meant for Grimmjow, but Ichigo had gotten in the way.

"Now look at what you made me do! And don't call me flat chested, you blue haired freak!" She yelled, not caring at all that Ichigo was unconscious. Grimmjow growled, picking up his lover and throwing him over his shoulder.

"Bitch, you better stay down here! If your friend isn't awake by tomorrow, I'm gonna kill you!" Grimmjow yelled, carrying Ichigo up the stairs and into his room. He couldn't care less about that woman, he just wanted to sleep.

"Che, what a jerk." The girl grumbled, climbing back into her bed. She could just take her friend and leave, but since it bothered Grimmjow so much, she decided to stay instead.

"Ichi, we're home!" A voice yelled, making the female sweat drop.

"Oh, look, two visitors." Another voice said, entering the front door behind her sister. Yuzu looked around, not seeing anyone, but Karin walked over to inspect the new faces.

"Who're you?" She asked, finding it a little odd that Ichigo wasn't around.

"My name is Shino, and I'm a soul reaper here to replace Zennosuke Kurumadani, protector of Karakura Town. This is my partner, Ryunosuke Yuki, although he's unconscious right now. That guy with the orange hair, Ichigo, brought us here to heal." Shino explained, finding it strange that these people are okay with strangers in their house.

"Oh, that makes sense. Where is Ichigo? And Grimmjow?" Karin asked.

"I believe that blue haired jerk and him went to sleep." Was her response.

"Ah, yeah, Grimmjow isn't fond of soul reapers. Don't take it personally. It's just his nature." Karin said, knowing full well that Grimmjow could be a real asshole. The two proceeded to talk, and Yuzu served the food Ichigo was making earlier.

All the while Ichigo lay unconscious in his lovers arms.

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**A/N: Ah, Grimmjow, you are indeed a jerk. I'm trying to follow the story line, or at least what Bleach wiki tells me, but damn it's annoying. Luckily, once I get to a certain point, I can be more creative. As you can see, Ichi and Grimm aren't doing so well. What, did you think they were a perfect couple? Sadly, that thing doesn't exist, and this couple isn't an exception. Well, I'm off to write the next chapter, so until then review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Whooo! Second chapter! Well..third...you know what I mean. So far, I'm pleased with this story. There's just a certain part I'm dying to get to...but it's gonna take forever D: But trust me, once I get to that part, this story will truly begin.**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

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Two days later, Ryunosuke Yuki finally woke up, much to Shino's relief. Ichigo had been glad, too, and called Orihime to come check it out. Grimmjow had been blunt, telling them to leave now, which prompted another argument between he and Ichigo. Shino had also yelled at Ryunosuke, telling him he took so long to wake up and that they needed to go home now.

"Ah, wait! Y-you're that guy who saved us yesterday! Ichigo Kurosaki!" Ryunosuke suddenly yelled, looking soundly shocked.

"Uh, actually, you've been asleep for a whole day, so it was two days ago. You're pretty slow, aren't you?" Ichigo asked, finding it mildly amusing. They decided to go talk in Ichigo's room, much to Grimmjow's dismay. Orihime also followed, having arrived earlier.

"I'm surprised that you were able to defeat those hollows so easily! I mean, I've heard how strong you are and all, but it's still amazing!" Yuki exclaimed, making Ichigo laugh and hand him some bread.

"You should get in your gigai, shouldn't you?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, no, we're going to be leaving soon anyways." Yuki responded, not hearing Grimmjow mutter 'not soon enough.'

"We could have already been there if it wasn't for you!" Shino yelled, entering the room.

"I'm sorry!" Yuki cried, cowering in fear as Shino punched him.

"Hey, so what's your name anyways?" Ichigo asked, but was suddenly interrupted. Everyone in the room suddenly froze as Ichigo's window slammed open, and someone landed on his bed. The man was tall, wearing all white with a black belt. His hair was light colored and swept back, creating peaks at the end. What defined him the most, however, was his mask fragment, which covered the left side of his forehead and eye and had multiple holes in it. Ichigo took a guarded stance immediately.

"I am Asguiaro Ebern, any other questions?" The man asked, making Ichigo furrow his brows.

"Get off my bed." He said firmly, reaching for his combat pass.

"No." Ebern said back, just as firmly.

"I said get off!" Ichigo yelled, losing his patience.

"And I said no." Ebern replied stubbornly. He was suddenly kicked out the window by an angry Ichigo, who immediately transforms into his shinigami form and leaps outside.

"Ow, that hurt! Why on earth did he kick me?" Ebern asked himself, holding his head.

"Why the hell are you here? What business do you have with me?" Ichigo asked, bringing forth Zangetsu.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ebern asks confusedly, seeming lost. Ichigo growled, not being in the mood for games, and lunged at the odd man who in turn jumped back. This continues until they are distanced from the house.

"Who was that guy?" Shino asked, staring out the window.

"I don't know, but he looked scary." Yuki replied.

"You think everyone looks scary!" Shino yelled. Grimmjow remained silent, staring at where Ichigo had been.

"Are you an arrancar?" Ichigo asks, still holding out Zangetsu.

"I'm not." Ebern replied, before dropping out a familiar looking cross and forming a large cannon like weapon.

_'Just what the hell is this guy?_' Ichigo wondered, looking shocked.

"Do my powers seem familiar, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Ebern asked, smiling maliciously. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, before flash stepping away quickly as the odd cannon protrusions started firing blasts of spirit energy.

"How do you know my name?" Ichigo yelled, dodging more blasts.

"We are all aware of you, substitute soul reaper." Ebern replied, making Ichigo more angry.

"That's it! Bankai!" He shouted, noticing how Ebern suddenly looked happy.

"This will be the end of his bankai!" Ebern said to himself, before taking out a medallion and reciting an incantation.

"Melt. Sea to cloud,cloud to rain,rain to fog. That with shape to that which is unseen. After our jubilation,the chalice will be turned face down!" He said, and suddenly black energy started pouring out, and white columns surrounded Ichigo. Quickly, Ichigo used Zangetsu to break free, and winced as his arm throbbed painfully.

"Getsuga tensho!" He yelled, swinging his sword at the enemy, who seemed too stunned to move.

_'Damn..why didn't it work? His bankai should have vanished!'_ Ebern thought angrily, bleeding profusely. He gasped as Ichigo's sword was suddenly pointed at the side of his face, Ichigo being behind him.

"I'm taking you back with me, and you're going to answer some questions." Ichigo stated, but was surprised as Ebern suddenly used a technique where he brought forth some kind of shadow.

"This is Shadows, a way of teleporting. Only chosen ones can use it to hide themselves." Was all he said before disappearing.

_'What was that just now? It wasn't a garganta...it was just a shadow. And what did he mean by chosen ones? Man..I need to get back home.'_ Ichigo wondered before flash stepping home.

* * *

Upon arrival, Ichigo was surprised to see Uryuu in his room with the others, who all looked concerned. After explaining what happened, Ryunosuke told him some very shocking and sad news.

"The head captain's lieutenant died? How?" Ichigo asked, feeling heavily shocked.

"A group of enemy's attacked us suddenly, and the battle left over one hundred dead. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Sasakibe was one of them." Ryunosuke explained solemnly.

"Ichigo, do you think this has anything to do with that guy?" Uryuu asked, pushing up his glasses.

"Yeah, I do. It can't just be a coincidence." Ichigo answered, feeling rather unnerved.

"I think the soul society will want your help soon." Uryuu said, and Ichigo nodded.

"Speaking of which, we need to go back. The Seireitei is a mess right now." Shino said, and after a short goodbye, took Ryunosuke and left.

"What should we do? It's clear that something is going on." Uryuu asked, standing outside with the others.

"I guess just wait until Soul Society contacts us." Ichigo said, although he had a terrible feeling in his gut. Waiting just didn't seem like the right thing to do.

"Well, if anything happens, let us know." Uryuu said, turning to leave with Orihime.

"Yeah, same goes for you." Ichigo said, going back inside. Grimmjow was on the couch, staring at Ichigo with a serious face. He had been awfully quiet this whole time, which was never a good sign.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, walking over to sit next to his lover.

"I don't like what's going on. Something just doesn't feel right. That guy who showed up was an arrancar, I'm sure of it. Did anything weird happen when you fought him?" Grimmjow asked, feeling tense.

"Actually, yeah, a couple of things. He had the strangest weapon..." Ichigo said, remembering the large cannon Ebern had.

"And he had this medallion thing...I just can't explain it, but he wasn't just an ordinary arrancar." Ichigo explained, also remembering the shadow that teleported Ebern.

"Waiting probably isn't the right thing to do, you know." Grimmjow said, making Ichigo smile. They were equally impatient when it came to these things.

"Should we go patrol the area? Just in case another one comes?" Ichigo asked, already knowing the answer.

"Hell yes we should." Grimmjow responded, and the two raced out the front door.

* * *

"I can't believe what happened with the head captain's lieutenant..." Ichigo said, still feeling shocked.

"What I don't get is why they haven't contacted you yet. Somethings going on, and they know it." Grimmjow replied, not feeling that surprised. He didn't know the guy, so it's not like he should care.

"I'm sure they're handling it themselves, they don't need me for everything. Although I do agree, something is going on. Whatever it is, though, I'm sure we'll find out so—"

"IIIIItsyyyyyygoooooooo!" A voice suddenly screamed, and both Ichigo and Grimmjow looked up to see a garganta open and a small green blob fly out at high speed, crashing into Ichigo.

"What the—_Nel_?! What are you doing here?! How did you even—have you been in Hueco Mundo this whole time?!" Ichigo yelled, wanting to punch himself for leaving her there.

"Itsygo, you have to come help! Hueco Mundo is in trouble!" The small child cried, gripping Ichigo like her life depended on it.

"What? Why? What happened?" Ichigo asked, but before he could answer, something else fell from the garganta and crashed into Grimmjow.

"Master Nel! Did you find—oh, you did! Hey, what did I land on— Oh my god it's the sexta! G-G-Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, please don't kill me!" Pesche cried, flying off Grimmjow and onto Ichigo.

"Alright, hold on a minute! One of you, explain what's happening in Hueco Mundo!" Ichigo yelled, shoving Pesche off of him.

"Everyone's getting slaughtered by these strange new guys! And...they captured Dondochakka! You have to help us!" Pesche cried, tugging on Ichigo's sleeve. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, an unsettling feeling washing over him again.

"Alright alright, just come to my house and we'll talk there." Ichigo said, standing up.

**Later...**

After calling Uryuu and Orihime and Chad over, Ichigo explained what happened and asked what he should do. They seemed hesitant to tell him to go, and Uryuu said he wouldn't go with them. Ichigo knew he would be fine here. Suddenly, Urahara appeared, asking if he should open a garganta. Ichigo agreed, and he, Grimmjow, Orihime and Chad all headed over to the shop.

"Say, how did you know we needed a garganta?" Ichigo asked the hatted man.

"There's been a lot of strange activity lately, and I just had that feeling you would go check it out." Urahara replied, although Ichigo somehow knew there was more to it. After opening a garganta and getting Grimmjow out of his gigai, the group proceeded to Hueco Mundo with Nel and Pesche.

"Urahara, do you know what's going on?" Ichigo asked, running behind Urahara who was leading them all.

"Not completely, but the Department of Research and Development has filled me in on Lieutenant Sasakibe's death, and the strange group of enemies. I believe all of this is somehow connected." Urahara said, quickening his pace. As they enter the desert, they immediately hide behind a sand dune, seeing that the enemy is close by.

"Oh no! They're taking more arrancar away!" Nel cried, forcing Ichigo to cover her mouth.

"Just like Dondochakka!" Pesche also cried, earning a hand over his mouth as well. Ichigo notices all of the corpses lying around and turns Nel's head away.

"Where are they taking those hollows?" Ichigo asked, noticing how men dressed in white were leading groups of hollows that were chained together like prisoners somewhere.

"To their camp, to either get killed or taken somewhere else. Dondochakka isn't with them, though.." Pesche explained sadly, remembering how his brother had been captured.

"I'm going to their camp. You guys stay here." Ichigo said, preparing to flash step away.

"Ichigo, are you sure? It's dangerous!" Orihime said, making sure to keep her voice down.

"I'm sure."

"Wait, I'm coming with you." Grimmjow said, and Ichigo nodded in approval.

"Me too!" Nel said, much to Pesche's dismay.

"But master Nel, why?" He asked, feeling a sense of worry.

"I want to see if Dondochakka is there!" She said matter of factly, and Ichigo reluctantly approved. The three flashed away, following the line of imprisoned hollows. They got far, and the camp was in viewing distance, but a sudden explosion made them stop and take cover.

"What the hell was that?" Grimmjow asked, feeling a somewhat familiar reiatsu nearby.

"It's the Tres Bestias!" Nel exclaimed, looking mildly terrified.

"The who?" Ichigo questioned, and Grimmjow seemed thoughtful for a moment, as if the name sounded familiar.

"Three scary arrancars, who are big and ugly and loud!" Nel explained, flailing her arms around.

"Well, whoever they are, they're close by and fighting something strong. We should go check it out." Ichigo said, picking Nel back up and flash stepping towards the explosion. When he arrived, he was shocked to see three figures on the ground, looking heavily injured. One single man dressed in white stood over them, obviously being an enemy.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, unsheathing Zangetsu. Grimmjow did the same with Pantera, and Nel stood back.

"Oh, a shinigami? How interesting. You must be Ichigo Kurosaki, then. I am Quilge Opie, Executive Hunting Captain of the first Jagdarmee. You must be dealt with quickly." The man said, pushing up his circular glasses.

"Tell me something, are you a quincy?" Ichigo asked, remembering his fight with Ebern.

"Very good, shinigami. I am a quincy." Quilge answered, drawing a sword.

_'I knew it. When Ebern used that cannon, I knew I saw his drop out a quincy cross. I thought Uryuu was the last quincy, though. Somethings not right..'_ Ichigo thought, and quickly blocked an attack with Zangetsu. Orihime and Chad suddenly appeared, and Ichigo didn't bother to ask about Urahara.

"Orihime, take Nel and keep her away from this!" Ichigo said, throwing Nel at Orihime gently as possible.

"You need any help with this guy?" Grimmjow asked, eying the quincy carefully.

"Not right now. Just stay back, okay? If I need help, you'll know." Ichigo replied, and Grimmjow reluctantly sheathed Pantera and stepped back as well. Quilge then began firing arrows, which Ichigo deflected with his sword.

"Your arrows are stronger than Uryuu's...though it's been awhile since we fought." Ichigo acknowledged, though more to himself.

"Is that so? Well, it's to be expected. I—"

_"Quilge, you are to take down Ichigo with all of your strength, is that clear?"_ A voice suddenly said through the transmitters in the mans glasses.

"Yes, my Liege." Quilge said, and took a step back.

"Quincy: Vollständig." He said, releasing a large amount of energy. A large column emerged, ending in a large quincy cross. When the column shattered, Quilge emerged.

"Behold, shinigami, my most powerful form."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I have to end it here before this gets crazy long. Man, I hate following the story line! It's really hard when you haven't even read the manga -.- So if I make any mistakes, blame bleach wiki. I'm surprised how many reviews the first chapter got. Sure, it was only like, 7, but still. I was expecting 1 or 0. So thank you for reviewing! I'm trying to speed along until Ichigo fights Juhabach...but damn..it's so far away! And I know Grimm's being awfully quiet, but don't worry, soon he'll be the center of attention. Anyways, please continue the reviews and support. It truly does help :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You know which bleach ost it like, the greatest ever? Stand up be strong XD it's just the most epic theme song I've ever heard, and it goes with everything! I'm totally gonna use it in an upcoming chapter. The lyrics are so simple, too. I always thought they were complicated, since I couldn't understand it, but after looking them up it's so simple! Ah, just thought I'd throw that in there. On with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Bleach.**

* * *

"You seem confused." The quincy acknowledged, standing before Ichigo in his new form. He now had large angel like wings, a quincy cross for a halo, a sword coming out of his right hand, and a large holster across his chest. Taking Ichigo's silence as a sign to continue, he began explaining what this power was.

"This is not like the outdated Letzt Stil, that expired 200 years ago. Although, that fool Soken Ishida clung to it. Our Vollständig as different as heaven is to earth, compared to that."

"I don't care about any of that. It's different, I get it, but I still think it's disgusting." Ichigo said, firing a getsuga tensho.

"You should aim better, although I have no weak points. For a treacherous shinigami like you, my form should be terrifying." Quilge said, beginning to absorb the reishi around him, even from Orihime's Santen Kesshun. He prepared to attack, but the attack was shattered suddenly from behind. Turning, Quilge frowned at seeing the three arrancar rising, and a very large beast.

"Ayon...finish this guy off! Show no mercy!" Apacci yelled, struggling to stand. The gargantuan beast growled, opening it's large eyes and locking onto Quilge before slamming it's over sized fist into him. He repeated this until Quilge flew out of the beasts range, and the Tres Bestias walked over to him, noticing the broken neck.

"I think we let Ayon beat him too much. Congrats, though, for staying whole. You're pretty durable." Apacci commented, but was suddenly stabbed in the chest. Quilge snapped his neck into place before standing up and retracting his sword.

"I'll have to inform his Majesty to adjust the strength of our Blut, but first, I'll have to kill everyone who has opposed me." He noted before turning towards the beast.

"Sklaverei." He said, and Ayon began growling and howling as his spiritual pressure was slowly stripped away and Quilge began transforming, looking more like the giant. Apacci, Sung-Sun, and Mila Rose retreated, using Sung-Sun's Muda ability to hide their reiatsu's along with Chad, Nel, and Orihime. However, they screamed as Quilge found them anyways, attacking Mila Rose and Sung-Sun. He then stares at Chad and Orihime dangerously, but before he can absorb their reishi as well, Ichigo attacks with his bankai. Seeing this, Quilge takes out a medallion, the same one Ebern used and attempts to steal Ichigo's bankai. When his attempt fails, he struggles to understand why.

"Why did you and that other guy try sealing my bankai?" Ichigo asks.

"I don't have to answer that." Quilge says back, wondering why he can't take Ichigo's bankai.

"Is it because you're scared of it?" Ichigo mocks, but before he can answer, a large blasts stops him. Ichigo looks over, surprised to see Urahara. Said hatted man looked pale, and rushed to open a garganta.

"Take this, Akon will explain everything." Was all he said. Ichigo took the denreishinki, still confused.

"Wait, I'm going with you!" Grimmjow said, but Ichigo shook his head.

"You need to stay here and protect them. There going to need help." Ichigo said, stepping into the garganta.

"But I—"

"Don't argue with me! Now isn't the time!" Ichigo snapped, running into the black hole. Grimmjow yelled in frustration, feeling both worry and anger towards Ichigo.

"Hello? Akon?" Ichigo said, listening to the sounds of chaos on the other side.

"Ichigo? You need to get here as fast as possible. Soul Society is being invaded by these quincies, and we're losing quickly. It would appear that they have the power to seal off bankai, making this incredibly hard. Please, hurry and get here!" Akon said, trying to sound calm but failing.

"Don't worry, I'm on my way." Ichigo said, ending the call. Almost immediately after, he received another one.

"Hello?"

"Ichigo, it's Urahara. I just wanted to tell you what I learned from watching you fight with that quincy. That technique he used, I think it was similar to our bankai. It also appears that they have strong defense, enough to emerge unscathed from your getsuga tensho and that beasts attacks. And what's more...I think they used him as a distraction while the others invaded the Soul Society." Urahara said, and just as Ichigo was about to respond, he was suddenly trapped in a cage. Quilge suddenly emerged, laughing cruelly.

"What a pity, you were almost there. But now you will remained trapped in that cage." He said, laughing as Ichigo tried desperately to escape.

"Don't bother, it's useless. His Majesty Juhabach gave me the letter J, for I am Quilge Opie of the Jail. You will never escape. Now, I must go finish those other insolent fools off before this beasts power leaves me." Quilge said, and Ichigo started to panic. However, before Quilge could do anything, he was suddenly cut in half. Behind him, stood Grimmjow, who had ignored Ichigo's demands to stay back.

"Grimmjow, what are you doing? I told you to stay back!" Ichigo yelled, firing a getsuga tensho as an attempt to break free. He growled when it did nothing.

"I came to help you, of course. The others are fine, they have Urahara. Besides, it looks like you need help." Grimmjow said, before unsheathing Pantera.

"I need you to just listen to me for once!" Ichigo yelled, feeling his temper rise. Grimmjow ignored him however and began slicing at the cage. When it did no good, he decided to use more drastic measures.

"Cero!" He shouted, pointing a finger at the cage and releasing the ball of energy. Ichigo covered his face with his forearm, letting out an exasperated sigh when it still didn't break.

"That's it! Grind, Pantera!" Grimmjow said, going into release mode and trying everything possible. Slicing, clawing, punching, balas, gran rey ceros, kicking, but nothing worked. Ichigo even used his hollow mask and tried his own attacks, but nothing happened.

"Dammit! Desgarron!" Grimmjow yelled, using his ultimate attack. Using a clawing motion, the large blue stripes coming out of his nails swung at the cage, and Ichigo gasped as they finally broke. Grimmjow returned to his normal form, Ichigo doing the same.

"Now, don't you owe me something? Maybe a thank you, or an I'm sorry for yelling?" Grimmjow said, but dead panned as Ichigo hopped out of the garganta.

"Oi! I'm talking to you!" He yelled, running after Ichigo. When he landed, however, he wasn't expecting the utter chaos and destruction that was the Soul Society. Buildings were leveled, fires had broken out everywhere, the sounds of terrified screams could be heard in the distance, and many bodies lie defeated around them. Looking at Ichigo, the youth looked absolutely mortified. This was the worst he had ever seen the place, and there were so many casualties. He looked around, and grew wide eyed as he spotted a familiar red head in some rubble.

"Renji!" He yelled, flashing over to his fallen friend, checking his pulse hurriedly. He let out a relieved breath as he felt a heart beat. Looking over, he also saw Rukia, and repeated the process, also finding a heart beat. When he saw a Captain's haori and black hair, his heart stopped.

"No...oh, god no! Byakuya! Byakuya!" He cried, running over and kneeling down. The noble was lying in a large puddle of blood, next to his broken sword, looking to be on the verge of death.

"Ichigo...Kurosaki...are Renji and Rukia..." Byakuya said, not having the strength to finish that sentence.

"They're alive, don't worry." Ichigo reassured, feeling his heart clench as Byakuya almost smiled in relief.

"Kurosaki...I have a request. Protect the Soul Society...in place of the shinigami. You are our last hope." Byakuya said, coughing up blood.

"I will, of course I will. Just relax now, Byakuya. You're gonna be okay. I promise." Ichigo said, trying more to convince himself than anyone else. Byakuya looked at him with a hazy eye before shaking his head and finally losing consciousness. Ichigo bowed his head in respect before standing with a new found determination. He had to find the leader of these quincies and destroy him.

"Ichigo, what are you going to do." Grimmjow asked, though it was more of a statement. Knowing Ichigo, he was about to go do something reckless.

"Find the bastard who did this and kill him." Ichigo said, feeling a swell of emotions all at once. He felt sad that so many of his friends were hurt, he felt angry for not showing up sooner, he felt fear that too many were dead, and he felt frustrated because he knew Grimmjow would object to his plans even though he had no other choice.

"That's too dangerous! You're going to get yourself killed!" Grimmjow said, clenching his fists.

"I don't care if it's dangerous! I have to do something! I have to keep my promise to Byakuya, and I have to protect them all!" Ichigo yelled, feeling another argument coming on.

"Stop saying you have to do things! You don't have to do shit! Why do you _care_ so much about these shinigami?! They're not worth _dying_ over!"

"_Shut up_! You just don't understand, you're such a heartless ass! If you think shinigami aren't worth dying over, then I must not be worth it either! Just get out of here, Grimmjow!" Ichigo yelled, preparing to flash step away. Grimmjow grabbed his shoulder roughly, keeping him in place.

"Don't tell me what to do! And how dare you call me heartless! You're such a stubborn asshole, you know that!" Grimmjow yelled, tightening his grip. He reeled back, however, when Ichigo punched him in the face.

"_I'm_ a stubborn asshole?! Dammit Grimmjow, I'm tired of this! I'm tired of you never telling me anything, I'm tired of you completely ignoring how I feel! You're not the same person I fell in love with, you're the jerk I fought in Hueco Mundo!"

"Oh yeah? Well maybe I'm tired too! Tired of you constantly bitching like a fucking chick! You think I'm the only one whose changed? I don't even know you anymore!"

"No, you're right. You _don't_ know me anymore. We're done, Grimmjow. Goodbye." Ichigo said, giving Grimmjow a heated look before vanishing. Grimmjow stood for a moment, too stunned to move, and then shouted incoherent words angrily. Ichigo proceeded to find the leader of the quincies, who was standing with another man. Ichigo landed before them, feeling enraged from his argument.

"Are you the leader of the enemy?" Ichigo asked the man, who smirked.

"I am, but then again I'm not." He replied, making Ichigo frown more.

"Are you the one who caused the Soul Society to fall apart?" He pressed, though he somehow knew the answer.

"_That_ I am." Juhabach confirmed, watching as Ichigo released a torrent of spiritual pressure before firing a massive getsuga tensho at him, which he didn't bother to dodge. When the dust cleared, he emerged unscathed and pinned Ichigo onto the floor. Ichigo tried to punch him, but the move was deflected. Juhabach then took his sword and stabbed it into Ichigo's throat.

"Haschwald, take him back with us." Juhabach said, standing over Ichigo. He was surprised when Ichigo stood suddenly, the tip of his sword only slightly piercing his skin.

"Could it be...yes, that was Blut Vene." Juhabach noted, before Ichigo's reiatsu engulfed him. He reeled back suddenly, frowning sharply.

"I made a mistake." He said.

"What, because I survived your attack?" Ichigo questioned.

"No, I wasn't referring to that." Juhabach said, attacking again only for Ichigo's skin to deflect it.

"I should have sent an arrancar to stop you instead of a pure quincy. By using a quincy, the memories of your reiatsu have awakened. Being trapped in Quilge's jail, his reiatsu reached the deepest part of your soul, awakening the memories of your reiatsu from the roots. After all, Quilge cannot imprison a quincy." Juhabach explained.

"What does my reiatsu have to do with quincies?" Ichigo asked, still feeling confused.

"You know nothing about yourself, nor about your mother. I will force you to surrender, and drag you back to the base and explain everything there." Juhabach says, but before he can strike, Haschwald stops him.

"My Liege, we must return you to the Schatten Bereich." He said, and Juhabach agreed. As they tried to leave, Ichigo attempted to stop them, but Haschwald suddenly attacked and shattered his sword. While stunned, Juhabach grabbed him by the waist, hitting his head to knock him out. He then threw him over his shoulder before stepping through a garganta. Before they leave, Grimmjow rushed in, wanting to apologize to Ichigo. When he saw him getting carried away unconscious, though, he felt panic course through his veins.

"Ichigo! Let him go, you bastards!" Grimmjow yelled, lunging at them with Pantera. He was intercepted by Haschwald, who cut him down in one strike. Grimmjow landed harshly, hitting his head on a rock, and before fading into unconsciousness witnessed Ichigo get kidnapped.

"Ichi...go..."

* * *

When Grimmjow finally woke up, he was in an unfamiliar room that smelled like medicine. From outside the window, he could see how bad the damage was, with all the destroyed buildings, burnt patches of dirt from fires, and groups of shinigami trying to find any of the injured in the debris. He heard the pained groans from other rooms, and realized he must be in the fourth division.

_'Oh man...how long have I been out? A day? Long enough for all those fires to get put out..damn, those bastards did some real damage. Wait...Ichigo! They took Ichigo! I have to go find him!'_ Grimmjow thought, going into panic mode. He stood, ignoring the pain in his skull, but just as he was about to run the door opened, revealing none other than Captain Unohana.

"Oh, you're awake, that's good. I'm going to have to ask you to stay in bed, though. You're suffering from a very bad concussion, and moving around isn't wise." She said, smiling that gentle yet creepy smile.

"I can't just sit around here! They have Ichigo!" Grimmjow yelled, remembering how his ex-lover was thrown over that mans shoulder and taken away.

"I'm aware of that, but going off to find him in your condition will do more harm than good." Unohana said, trying to calm Grimmjow down.

"I'm fine, dammit! If I don't find him, who knows what will happen!" Grimmjow continued to yell, fearing the worst for Ichigo.

"I'm going to have to ask you to keep your voice down. There are people trying to rest here." She said, gesturing to the other beds. Grimmjow's eyes widened as he recognized the faces of Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, and Kenpachi, all unconscious.

"Look, I'm going to find him, whether you give me permission or not." Grimmjow said, talking much lower despite his inner turmoil.

"I never said you couldn't, Grimmjow. I'm merely suggesting you rest first, so that when you go, you'll be at full strength. I've told the same thing to the others." She said, making Grimmjow stop and mentally repeat what she said.

"The..others?" He asked, and Unohana nodded.

"When we first brought them here, they were awake and asking if Ichigo had made it. Unfortunately, I deduced from his missing reiatsu and broken sword, that he had been taken. They too wanted to look for him, but were told to rest."

"But..who are they?" Grimmjow asked, not understanding.

"Lieutenant Abarai and Kuchiki." She said, and Grimmjow's eyes widened.

"But..they're way more hurt than I am! I don't have time to wait for them to heal!" Grimmjow yelled, feeling a head ache coming on. The door suddenly opened again, revealing a face Grimmjow was familiar with. He had fought this guy once in Karakura Town.

"Oi, the royal guard is here, ya might wanna come see." The blonde captain said, glancing at Grimmjow and grinning widely.

"Well, look who it is. I remember you, espada. Or rather, _ex_ espada. I heard about Ichigo, and if you think you're going alone, you've got another thing coming. We all want to go. But first, ya really need to come see this." Shinji said, gesturing them to follow. Grimmjow had no idea what the royal guard was, but he vaguely remembered Aizen talking about it. Whatever it was, it sounded important, so Grimmjow followed with Unohana.

_'Ichigo...I swear I'll find you. No matter what, I'll prove to you...that I love you.'_

**Somewhere in Hueco Mundo...**

Ichigo landed on the cold prison floor harshly, bringing him back to consciousness. He immediately jumped up, looking around the dark room frantically, not recognizing the area. His hand flew to his back, but grasped only air. Zangetsu had been broken and left behind, and now he was a prisoner to the Vandenreich. He realized then, that his captors were watching him with amusement.

"Ah, he's awake. Welcome, Ichigo, to the Vandenreich Headquarters. This lovely room is our prison, where you will be staying until we get some cooperation from you. We will begin tomorrow, as to give you time to..adjust to these new surroundings. I suggest you rest...you'll surely need it." Juhabach said, smiling wickedly. Ichigo didn't like the sound of that, and gripped the bars tightly.

"Wait! You said you would explain everything to me! What do you know about my mother?!" He yelled, watching as Juhabach stopped and turned slowly.

"All in due time, my son." Was all he said, before walking outside and shutting the large metal door. Ichigo yelled in frustration shaking the metal bars.

_'These are just bars, I can easily break out of here!'_ He thought before ripping the air above his eye and pulling down, donning his hollow mask.

"Don't bother. These bars absorb attacks, using the power to increase their durability." A sudden female voice said, making Ichigo jump. He saw a shadow move in the cell next to his, standing from it's sitting position. The dim lighting made it hard to see, until she stepped closer.

"Who are you?" He asked, feeling as if he should know her.

"My name...is Tier Hallibel, former tres espada."

* * *

**A/N: Oh snap! I know, cliffhanger, I'm a terrible person. But hey, a chapters gotta end sometime, why not at the introduction to someone who is supposed to be dead? Also, I might not be updating everyday now, since school is just killing me. Luckily, Christmas break is coming up, so I should be doing plenty of writing! Anyways, keep up with the reviewing! I'm loving it XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh..how I've procrastinated...in all honesty, I got caught up playing Soul Resurreccion. Best Bleach game EVER. But, since my eyes are burned out from playing, I'm going to instead focus on my phone screen for an hour or two and try to write this. That shouldn't make it worse, right? *Eyes start to smoke* Erm...that's normal...anywayyyss, I'm really hoping this chapter...explains things, I guess. By that I mean where Ichigo and Grimmjow started going..wrong. But maybe I'll save it for the next chapter. I guess we'll just see how it goes. Regardless, I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

The Royal Guard, to say the least, was _not_ what Grimmjow had been expecting. This whole time he thought they would be strong looking (both physically and in numbers) totally badass, and...well...just not these guys! Really, they were a disappointment. Why Aizen was so obsessed with these guys was beyond the blue haired man. Squad zero consisted of five, that's right, five members. To sum it up, Grimmjow was not impressed. To make matters worse, they were all chatting with the other shinigami, as if the Seireitei didn't just get destroyed and a war wasn't going on. Grimmjow had stopped listening quite some time ago, but his interest peaked when an attractive woman emerged with four pod like bubbles, being held by skeletal looking arms that seemed to come out of her back.

"What are you doing with my patients?" Unohana asked, breaking the conversation she was having with a skinny, odd looking guy. Hearing this, Grimmjow looked closer at the pods, and realized Unohana's patients were in fact inside them. Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, and the broken Tensa Zangetsu each lay in their own pods, looking to be sleeping peacefully.

"Oh, just holding them for a while. Nothing much, really." The woman said, her voice sounding serious yet playful.

"They are too injured to go anywhere, you must put them back." Unohana said, giving the girl her 'Gentle' smile.

"They will die if they stay here, Retsu. Just let us take care of it." The skinny guy said, and then resumed their previous conversation about healing techniques.

_'He addressed her by her first name...do these guys know each other? And just where are they taking the injured shinigami?'_ Grimmjow wondered, but soon focused on Mayuri Kurotsuchi suddenly mentioning Ichigo's name.

"Did you break into my lab and steal Ichigo Kurosaki's sword?" The Captain asked, looking at the girl with an angry glint in his eyes.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi? What a surprise, I didn't know you were here! And no, I didn't break into anything. I simply placed my hands on the doors and they magically opened themselves. It was _much_ easier than last time." She replied, giggling at his pissed off face.

"Oi, Senjumaru! Enough chit chatting, it's time to go already! Did you get everything we needed?" A very large man asked, having previously punched the skinny guy talking to Unohana in order to shut him up.

"Not quite. The one we need isn't here, but..." Senjumaru said, turning her gaze towards Grimmjow.

"He is. You, what's your name?" She asked, and Grimmjow suddenly felt annoyed at the amount of shinigami eyes on him.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Why." He said, sounding disinterested.

"You're coming with us as well. I can tell by the feel of you that you know Ichigo Kurosaki on a personal level. Now..." She trailed off as another arm sprouted and shot towards him, hovering over his head. Grimmjow was about to run, but in the blink of an eye was trapped in a translucent bubble.

"W-wait, why me?! I don't need healing!" He yelled, pounding on the walls angrily.

"No, but we do have another reason for bringing you with us. We'll explain once we get there." Senjumaru said, walking over to the large man.

"But I don't have time for this! I've got to go find Ichigo!" Grimmjow yelled, pounding harder.

"Oh, stop throwing a tantrum. All that pounding hurts, you know. You'll find him soon enough, but first you need to come with us. You should consider it an honor, being taken to the Soul King Palace." Senjumaru said, effectively shutting Grimmjow up.

_'Did she just say...the Soul King Palace? Isn't that...where Aizen was trying to get to? To kill the Soul King? And I'm just being taken there?_

_..._

_..._

_Ha! Take that you bastard! Oh man, if only he knew! I'm being taken to the place he wanted so badly to go to, and I didn't even have to do shit! Oh, that's just rich! Fucking rich! In your face, you son of a bitch!'_ Grimmjow thought, grinning widely. His day just got a little bit better.

"Now, there is one problem." Another female said, this one being fat with purple hair and weird swirly lines on her cheeks, looking as if someone attempted to draw a mustache on her while she slept.

"Oh? What might that be, Hikifune?" Senjumaru asked, turning to face the woman.

"The tenchuren, we can't just go back like the way we came. You know what that means." She replied, referring to the large pillar they arrived in. All of the Royal Guard nodded in mutual understanding.

"Kukaku Shiba." They said in unison. Grimmjow merely raised an eyebrow, not knowing who anyone was talking about. So, figuring he had nothing else to do, he decided to get comfortable and take a little cat nap. Somehow, he felt he would need the rest.

* * *

**Inside Vandenreich Headquarters, underground prison...**

* * *

"W-what? But...but you—how are you even—what?!" Ichigo spluttered, not comprehending what the former espada was telling him. She gave him a patient look, waiting until he calmed down some before explaining.

"I understand your confusion. You see, when Grimmjow attacked us suddenly, he did kill a few of us. However, I remained only critically injured, and was later rescued by my fraccion, who also managed to survive. With no one else around to fill the position, I became the ruler of Hueco Mundo. That is, until, they invaded and defeated me in battle. I was captured along with some other arrancars, and have been here ever since." She explained, and Ichigo relaxed a little. That is, until, he replayed the words she said.

"Wait...you said 'he did kill a few of us.' Does that mean..."

"There were others." She said, looking away momentarily. Ichigo felt his heart leap into his throat at the idea of Ulquiorra still being alive. That was a face he truly didn't want to see again.

"Wait..._'were?'_" He asked.

"Yes...they were captured before I was, and until I got here, I had no idea they had even survived. However..." She paused, clearing her throat, "They didn't survive much longer after that."

"What do you mean they didn't survive? What the hell killed them?" Ichigo asked, feeling a sense of dread wash over him.

"...They...had been here, much longer than I had been...I cannot say for certain how long, but it must have been since you and the shinigami left with Grimmjow. When I was captured...they were already so damaged, I almost didn't recognize them. At first, I was like you. I didn't understand anything, but I had my guesses. However, nothing I could have ever guessed happened, and then I realized what they did to them. Kurosaki...Ichigo...they will do things to you, things that will change you forever. They will do it for information, and for your loyalty. They want your cooperation, and will stop at nothing to get it. Do you understand?" She explained, and for the first time, Ichigo noticed how beaten her body was. Her clothes were torn to shreds, she had angry bruises and gashes all over, her lips were cracked and bloodied, and she looked absolutely exhausted. Not to mention how small she had gotten, now her bones were more prominent and her face looked hollow and empty.

"They've been torturing you..." He breathed, and then realized that he, too, would get the same treatment. She merely nodded in response.

"But...don't you fight back? Can't we do anything?"

"Do not think so little of me. I fought before they even brought me here, and haven't stopped since. We all fought them, and the others died, just as I will." Hallibel stated, her bloodshot eyes still looking as fierce as they always had.

"Woah woah, wait, you can't just die! Someone has to stop them!" Ichigo said, not expecting the former tres espada to accept death so easily.

"I would rather die than assist them in any way. As for defeating them, I gave up on that idea months ago, as will you. You fought Aizen, and you defeated him. Now, imagine his power, and imagine it getting crushed like an ant by the Vandenreich's power. Defeating them is _not_ an option." She said, making Ichigo's head swim. He can't imagine anything being that strong.

"So then...what can I do? What are they going to do to me?" He asked, not sure if he really wanted to know.

"They will break you in, and then break you completely."

* * *

Grimmjow was woken up abruptly by a loud pounding noise, and for a moment he forgot where he was. However, when he opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of a large set of breasts, he couldn't bring himself to care. Sure, he was gay and loved Ichigo, but when you wake up to something like that, it's pretty hard not to stare.

"Oi, I'm up _here_!" An angry female voice shouted, punching the pod harder. Grimmjow snapped his eyes up, giving the female a wry smile.

"Can I help you?" He asked, resting his back against the smooth interior of his bubble. At first, the idea of being stuck in such a small place seemed terrible, but it was actually pretty cozy.

"Not really. But I would like to know who you are before I blast you out of here." The woman replied smugly, making Grimmjow raise an eyebrow.

"I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and just what is that supposed to mean?" Grimmjow asked, taking a moment to look at his surroundings. Everything was too unfamiliar, and it was starting to wear down on his nerves.

"Grimmjow huh..well, I'm Kukaku Shiba, and if you ever need explosives, I'm the person to see. I won't bother explaining it to you, since these guys seem to be in a hurry, but...well...you might wanna hold on to something." She said, and suddenly everything went black.

_'What the—just where the hell am I? Did she just close us inside of something? Wait a minute...'_

"But there's nothing to hold onto in here! Hey! What's going on?!" Grimmjow yelled, and suddenly felt himself getting higher and higher until everything went still for a moment.

_'Wait...she said something about explosives, right? So...wouldn't that mean...'_

"Ah fuck." Grimmjow muttered, and then felt himself slam onto the bottom of his pod, being held there by gravity as they shot out of Kukaku's huge canon. Said woman merely smiled and shook her head, listening to Grimmjow scream until it faded away.

"Ichigo sure knows how to pick 'em." She said, and then frowned sharply.

"Damn...I hope they find him and beat those quincy bastards."

"Hey sis, who are you talking to?" Ganju asked, entering the room with a tray of food.

"Shut up," She said, socking him in the face. He crashed into the floor, spilling the food everywhere, "And clean that up before you go get me more."

* * *

"_Jow...Immjow_...Grimmjow! Wake up!" Senjumaru shouted, shaking Grimmjow back into consciousness.

"What happened? Where are we?" Grimmjow asked alarmingly, not remembering ever passing out.

"You hit your head when we landed and fell unconscious. This is the Soul King Palace, our home." She explained, and Grimmjow noticed the large pillar floating high above everything else.

_'This is there home? And that huge pillar...I bet it's where the Soul King is. But what's with those platform things underneath it? Ow...my head..'_ Grimmjow winced, feeling the effects of his now worsened concussion.

"And you said you didn't need healing. Lucky for you, Tenjiro can fix you right up." Senjumaru said, and in an instant Grimmjow was back in the pod and being flash stepped away, up to the platform below the pillar.

"I can walk, ya know." Grimmjow said, although he didn't really mind getting carried around.

"Yes, but this is easier." Senjumaru said as they landed, and the odd skinny guy (who Grimmjow now knew was Tenjiro) led them into a large building. Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn't this. Something like the fourth division, maybe, but this? No, this was more like a bath house. Two very large hot springs took up the area, one looking quite nice with all the waterfalls around it, while the other looked like boiling blood. Grimmjow winced as he was suddenly released from the pod, landing flat on his bottom. Tenjiro tossed him some clothes, being made from a material that felt strange when touched.

"You might wanna put those on, these aren't your average hot springs, and I don't think you feel like getting burned alive." He said, pointing at a small changing room. Before closing the curtain, he noticed Senjumaru taking the others into another room with a handful of the same garments.

_'This is crazy. I'm here in a fucking hot spring, while Ichigo's out there suffering. But these guys seem to want to find him as well, so they wouldn't be making me do this for no reason...right? Still, it just doesn't feel right. I should be out there looking for him. I have to find him...'_ Grimmjow thought, stripping down and putting on the silky clothes. When he walked out, he found the others being lifted gently into the water, still being unconscious.

Senjumaru sat at a low table not too far from the hot springs, playing odd looking instruments. Tenjiro had just set Renji in the water, and was getting in himself, not wearing the garments Grimmjow noted. The big guy sat with Senjumaru and Hikifune, and the old man (who hadn't said a word) joined them.

"Oi, you coming or what?" Tenjiro asked, sitting on the underwater bench that wrapped around the entire pool. Grimmjow reluctantly stepped in, surprised at how warm it was. Granted, it wasn't nearly as hot as he thought it would be, but it was definitely above average.

"Hm, guess you really are strong." Tenjiro murmured, though it was meant for Grimmjow to hear.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He snapped, glaring at the man.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just, people with weak spiritual pressure wouldn't be able to just slip in here like you just did. There's usually some kind of reaction, but you treated it as if it were nothing. I'm just surprised, I guess." Tenjiro shrugged, running a hand through his outlandishly huge pompadour which despite being wet, hadn't deflated at all.

"Che, what about you? You're half naked, and don't seem to mind at all." Grimmjow said, noticing that the man did in fact remove his jacket.

"Well yeah, I own the things, it only seems right that they don't effect me. What kind of guy would I be if my own hot springs burned me?" Tenjiro said, crossing his arms. Despite talking tough, Grimmjow noticed how red his hands were, from being in the water.

"Whatever you say." Grimmjow said, making a vein pop in Tenjiro's head.

"Are you underestimating me?! You, a mere arrancar?! No, rather an _espada_?! I think it's time to start your healing!" Tenjiro yelled, standing abruptly.

"Wait, how did you know I was an espada?" Grimmjow asked, but was tackled underwater in response. When he came up for air, he lost all focus on how this guy knew him, and instead focused on getting revenge.

"That's it, you pink bastard! It's on!" He yelled, distracting Tenjiro who was too busy looking down at his now pink torso from the boiling water. He then lunged at him, taking them both underwater.

"Somebody needs to help those injured ones." Hikifune said, noticing how Renji was starting to slide underwater.

"I guess I'll do it." Senjumaru sighed, heading for the changing room.

"Ah, my hair!"

"That's what you get for splashing water in my eyes!"

"Nobody messes up my pompadour!"

"Well, nobody splashes water in my eyes."

"So it's been a problem before?"

"Well...no...has anyone ever messed up your hair before?"

"Actually, no, not at all. Now...SURPRISE ATTACK!"

"Ah! You bastard!"

"Hmph, men." Senjumaru scoffed, entering the water and gently lowering each shinigami underwater with her skeletal arms before bringing them back up and repeating the process.

"What did you say?!" Both Tenjiro and Grimmjow yelled, stopping mid hair-pull to glare at the raven haired woman.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything." She replied with feigned innocence. The two went back to fighting, while the others watched from the table.

"The Soul King certainly has good reasons for being interested in him." Hikifune said, referring to Grimmjow.

"Indeed he does." The large man agreed, nodding his head.

"I believe the same goes for that Kurosaki boy." The old man said.

"Ah, you're right, Ginrei. Say, isn't that one over there your grandson?"

"Mind your own business, Osho." The old man responded coldly, fixing his gray eyes on the man.

"Tch, you Kuchiki's, I swear." Osho grumbled, making Hikifune chuckle.

"Ah, but from what I hear, that girl is a Kuchiki too. There's certainly a story behind that, ne? Ah, but I'm sure you know, Ginrei." She said, and by the look on the old man's face, she was correct. Or at least, partially correct. In truth, he hadn't seen Byakuya in quite some time.

"So then, who's the red headed guy?" Osho asked, glancing over at Renji.

"His _lieutenant_, I believe." Hikifune said, giving Ginrei a look. The old man nodded in understanding, knowing that both her and Osho felt it. His grandson and Renji were more than that, and you could feel it from the air around them. However, he wasn't really sure how he felt about that yet. He and Byakuya really needed to talk.

"Ow, my eye!"

"Ha! Hurts, doesn't it?!"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

"Ow! You son of a bitch!"

* * *

**A/N: Ah, what better way to end a chapter then with some arguing? And no, I'm not a hundred percent sure that Byakuya's grandfather is one of the five Royal Guard members. They haven't really said it, as far as I know. I decided to add some humor to this, since this is actually a pretty dark story. I mean, Ichigo's about to go through some pretty heavy stuff. A lot of people usually add rape into these things, but I'm not sure how I feel about Juhabach raping him, since I'm pretty sure he's Ichi's grandfather...and anyways, I'm not really comfortable with rape. Meh, we'll see. Maybe just minor sexual harassment? God, that sounds awful DX And as for explaining Ichigo and Grimm's relationship, I decided to make that happen later. It's hard to plan these things XD. Anyways, sorry for the late update. It's almost Christmas break, so I should be writing more often. I'll make no promises, though. But, you could always leave lots of reviews! That usually nags at me to update again!**

**Rainb0wNinja out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well...not much to say about this chapter, since right now I don't even know what's going to happen. I just want to start writing this before I get lazy again. I'm planning on using some lyrics from songs eventually, one of them being from Bleach, I just don't know when. It may actually be this chapter, but maybe not. I felt like I was kind of speeding through this, which at first I was, so I tried fixing that. Right now I have a head ache, though, so this chapter may be kind of...meh. And Tosh.o is distracting me..so...yeah. Hopefully this doesn't suck too much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

* * *

It took a while, but Grimmjow and Tenjiro finally stopped their fighting, but it took Grimmjow hurting Tenjiro's hand. Tenjiro then proclaimed that Grimmjow was perfectly healed, if he was able to block his attacks _and_ hurt him. Grimmjow was relieved that he didn't have to go in the other hot spring, since it looked rather gross. Renji and the others, however, had to be moved into it after about an hour of soaking in the normal one. Now, Grimmjow sat with the others at the low table, watching Tenjiro heal the three. A thought suddenly came to Grimmjow, and he decided to ask about it.

"You brought Ichigo's sword, right?" He asked Senjumaru, who nodded in response. "Can you fix it?"

"We cannot necessarily fix it, but we can reforge it to a similar state. We're just waiting for the others to get healed." Osho answered, and Grimmjow frowned.

_'Guess that means I'll be staying here longer.'_ He grumbled in his head.

"So, let me get this straight. You five protect the Soul King?" He asked, deciding to just make small talk to pass time.

"That's right. It's our main goal." Osho said.

"So then, you've _seen_ him, right? I mean, I've never heard of anyone who's actually seen him. Aizen always talked about the guy, and something called the Oken, but he never actually saw him." Grimmjow said, and narrowed his eyes as he heard Tenjiro scoff loudly from the blood pool.

"The Soul King resides in the large pillar you saw when we brought you here. We, as members of the Royal Guard, live on our own platform and are in charge of it. However, just because we are chosen to come here and are granted admission, doesn't mean we've seen him." Hikifune said, holding back a chuckle at Grimmjow's confused face.

"So then...wait..how does that even work?" He asked, trying his hardest to understand it all.

"In order to even _enter_ the Soul King Palace, you must have a key, the Oken. When the Soul King wills it to happen, someone is chosen and they automatically have the Oken. However, there are exceptions, such as you and the other shinigami." She said, which really didn't make it any better.

"So, what, you just magically have the Oken in your hands? Isn't that kind of...too easy?"

"Not in our hands, in our bones. And the Soul King doesn't choose just anybody, he chooses the strongest. That's why there are only five of us. Our power combined is enough to destroy the entire Soul Society." Senjumaru explained, making Grimmjow's eyes widen.

"Wait, then why didn't you guys help when they were being invaded?"

"It's not our job to interfere with what goes on in the Soul Society. Our job is to protect the Soul King only, and until he is in danger, we will not do anything." Osho said, taking note of the perplexed look on the ex espada's face.

"But, what about when Aizen was trying to obtain the Oken and kill the Soul King? Wasn't that a threat?"

"Aizen was not a threat, because he didn't know _how_ to obtain the Oken. He wasn't aware that our bones are the key, and so the Soul King didn't bother with it. And also...he knew that Ichigo Kurosaki would stop him." Hikifune said, making Grimmjow think for a moment.

"I think I get it, but...you said you wouldn't get involved unless the Soul King was in danger, right? So then, why suddenly come to the Soul Society and bring us here?"

"I think you know the answer to that." Osho said, looking far too serious.

"We were also supposed to bring Ichigo Kurosaki here...but you are aware of what happened. The Soul King is very interested in him, and was disturbed to hear that he had been taken. However, when he heard about you, he also became interested, therefore we brought you as well. I am curious, though, as to what your relationship is with him? It's very odd to find an espada cooperating with shinigami so willingly." Senjumaru asked, a playful glint in her eyes telling Grimmjow she and the others already knew everything.

"Well...um...we're just..you know...erm..." He spluttered, cursing himself for blushing. It only worsened as they started laughing.

"Relax, we know already." Senjumaru giggled, making Grimmjow relax some.

"We're actually...not together anymore.." Grimmjow said, looking down sadly. Senjumaru gasped, apparently having not heard about that part.

"Oh, that's terrible! Why though?" She asked, and Grimmjow winced. He really didn't feel like talking about it.

_'But that's my problem, isn't it? He did say I never told him anything. But still...I don't want to talk about it, especially with people I just met.'_ He thought, replaying Ichigo's hurtful words over and over again.

"Oh, Senjumaru, don't you think that's a bit personal?" Hikifune asked, and Grimmjow felt grateful towards the woman.

"You're right, I'm sorry. But, you seem determined to find him, so I'm sure it can't be that bad." She said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

_'You have no idea...'_ He grumbled in his head, wanting the subject to be taken away from him and onto something else. And like a miracle, Tenjiro gave him that opportunity.

"Oi, Senjumaru, I need your lovely hands. This guy finally woke up." He said, rubbing his face where Renji had punched him. Grimmjow was starting to question his sanity. Senjumaru sighed and made her way over to the blood pool, sprouting a hand and capturing Renji in the bubble. Said red head didn't much care for it, but soon found that pounding didn't do anything. She carried him into the other room, and then came out seconds later, presumably leaving him to change. Sure enough, moments later he emerged dressed in a shihakusho and had Zabimaru hanging on his hip.

"Come this way, Lieutenant Abarai. We are just waiting for the others to wake up before we discuss any further plans." Senjumaru said, guiding Renji over to the table and sitting back down. The man seemed confused, and kept sending Byakuya worried glances.

"Um..where am I? And who are you guys?" He asked, feeling out of place in such a nice environment.

"You are in the Soul King Palace, and we are the Royal Guard. I am Senjumaru Shutara, this is Osho, Kirio Hikifune, Ginrei Kuchiki, and the man who healed you is Tenjiro Kirinji." She greeted, and Renji's eyes widened suddenly.

"Y-you said Ginrei K-Kuchiki? So then..you're related to the Captain?" Renji asked, remembering to not use Byakuya's name in front of high ranking officers.

"I am his Grandfather, and you must be his..lieutenant." Ginrei said, choosing his words carefully.

"Y-yes sir, I'm Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of the sixth division." He said, giving a short bow. Grimmjow almost scoffed at the mans nervousness. Really, he was only making it more obvious.

"At ease, boy, there's no need to be so nervous." Ginrei chided, finding it oddly amusing though he would never admit it.

"R-right, sorry sir." He said, sitting up straight and stiff. Grimmjow almost felt bad for the poor bastard. _Almost_. However, Senjumaru's laughter eased the tension quite a bit.

"You're awfully cute, Lieutenant. It's quite entertaining." She giggled, making Renji blush slightly.

"Please, call me Renji. I'm not big on titles." He said, relaxing some now that he wasn't talking to his lovers strict grandfather.

"You and me both. Renji, do you need anything?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Actually, I feel great. That guy sure knows what he's doing." Renji said, making Tenjiro grin widely.

"At least _someone_ appreciates it!" He yelled, sending a challenging glare at Grimmjow, who returned it full force.

"Shut it, pinky! Don't think I won't go back in there and kick your ass!" He yelled, shaking a fist at the man.

"For the last time, that's not my name! And I dare you to come in here!"

"Tenjiro, shut it! You've got patients to attend to!" Osho shouted, effectively making both men quiet down.

"Um..how long has it been? Since they invaded, I mean." Renji asked.

"Why, I think it's been about a day." Hikifune answered, and Renji looked relieved at that.

"Only a day, that's good. Do...do you know how bad it is there? Any casualties?"

"Well, we weren't there too long, but there was quite a bit of damage to the buildings. As of casualties, I believe only the Head Captain died." Senjumaru said, making Grimmjow's eyes widen.

"Wait, the who now?! Nobody told me that!" He said, feeling genuinely shocked. From what Ichigo told him, the Head Captain was the strongest shinigami around.

"You didn't know? But weren't you there around the time he died?"

"Well...I don't know...I was only conscious for a few minutes." Grimmjow said, looking away for a moment. Now that he thought about it, something did feel different when he was there. It was like the strong foundation of the Soul Society that had always been there had just vanished.

"I see. Unfortunately, the Head Captain was killed, and now the Seireitei is in a disastrous state. It's up to the remaining Captains to keep control now. But, another pressing matter is how to defeat the Vandenreich. With Ichigo captured, I'm afraid it's going to be much harder." Hikifune said, looking somber.

"That's why I'm going to find him." Grimmjow said confidently, feeling his chest tighten at the thought of Ichigo being locked up somewhere.

"_We're_ going to find him." Renji corrected, earning a stern look from Grimmjow. It didn't deter Renji, however, and he didn't break the eye contact. Sensing the tense sparks between the two, Senjumaru decided to speak up.

"Well, no matter what, I'm confident that you'll succeed. We'll talk of strategies when the others wake up, which should be anytime now. How's it going, Tenjiro?" She asked, directing everyone's attention to the man.

"Any minute now, hopefully. This guy was hurt pretty bad, so he might take longer." Tenjiro replied, dipping Byakuya back under. Renji watched closely, his previous anger dissipating instantly.

"And the girl? Is she ready to come out now?"

"Oh, I think so. Care to do the honors?" He asked, and she nodded, repeating the process she had done with Renji. This time, though, she replaced Rukia's drenched clothes herself and carried her back into the main room inside her pod.

"Would you like to take her? Or should I leave her in here?" She asked Renji, who figured Rukia wouldn't like waking up inside of a random bubble.

"I'll just take her, thanks." Renji said, catching Rukia as she was released. He wrapped an arm around her, resting her head on his shoulder carefully. Grimmjow watched, keeping a blank expression. Whenever he saw the girl, he couldn't help but think of when he put a gaping hole in her with his bare hand, and how mad Ichigo was. And then, of course, he thought of Ichigo, and then thought of him some more.

_'Damnit...I should be looking for him right now! But these bastards won't let me go, it's driving me insane! If I wait any longer, who knows what will happen to him! That's it, I'm opening a garganta.'_ Grimmjow thought angrily, and snapped his fingers as subtly as possible. Nobody seemed to notice, but Grimmjow scowled when a garganta didn't open.

_'Of course it wouldn't open here. If gargantas could open in a place like this, then they would have all kinds of things coming in and out. Dammit...I can't wait any longer! This noble princess needs to wake his ass up!'_ Grimmjow mentally fumed, clenching his fists.

**Meanwhile in Hueco Mundo...**

A few hours had passed, and it had been awfully quiet since Hallibel fell asleep. Ichigo had no idea how she did it, just falling asleep like nothing. Sure, she _had_ to be tired, but still. She had told Ichigo to do the same, and he tried, but it was impossible to get comfortable, plus he just had too much on his mind. Juhabach said by tomorrow they would 'start', and now that Ichigo knew what exactly that meant, he _really_ didn't want tomorrow to come. And for the first time since being captured, he thought of Grimmjow.

"Bastard..." He grumbled, keeping his voice down so Hallibel wouldn't wake up. As much as he wanted to block the thoughts out, they all came rushing into his mind, reminding him of all the times they argued.

_It had been a long day at school, and after studying for three huge tests, Ichigo was ready for bed. Grimmjow had been living with him for about two months now, after selling the mansion, and despite having the same tests as Ichigo he didn't bother to study simply because he didn't have to. Grimmjow was a lot smarter than Ichigo had expected, and passed tests with flying colors._

_Now, Ichigo wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep, but stopped in his tracks as he found Grimmjow waiting for him. They slept together every night, but it still caught the berry off guard sometimes. He smiled, getting settled in under the blankets and snuggling close to his lover, before turning off the lamp on his desk. Between the comfortableness of his bed and Grimmjow's warmth, Ichigo found himself drifting off almost immediately. A warm, wet feeling suddenly trailed down his shoulder blade, and Ichigo was suddenly aware of the hard lump pressing against his ass. He scowled as Grimmjow continued licking him, and for once, found himself not wanting to have sex. He was just too tired._

_"Not tonight, Grimm, I'm tired." Ichigo said, swatting the mans wandering hand away. Grimmjow gave him a confused look, not being use to rejection._

_"Oh, come on, you can't be that tired." He said, nipping at Ichigo's neck._

_"I am, now cut it out. Come on, I have tests tomorrow, I need energy." Ichigo said, feeling his patience dwindle._

_"You'll be fine. Come on, don't be such a prude." Grimmjow tried, not ceasing his actions._

_"I'm not being a prude, I just don't feel like doing it tonight!" He snapped, sitting up and shoving Grimmjow away. He wasn't trying to be mean, but he really needed sleep._

_"But I do!" Grimmjow said, also sitting up._

_"Well it's not all about you! God, I didn't know it was a crime to be tired every once in a while!"_

_"Well, it should be."_

_"Wow, Grimmjow. Is that all there is to us? We've been having sex like every day since we got back from Hueco Mundo! Is that all I'm good for?!"_

_"What? Of course not! I-I just...I mean...what's the problem?"_

_"That's it. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight, since you obviously won't let it go. If you're so fucking horny, take care of it yourself instead of using me." Ichigo said, climbing out of bed and slamming the door shut behind him before Grimmjow could even respond._

_"...Using you?" Was all he said, not understanding what had just happened._

"That was the first time we ever argued.." Ichigo said, looking at the floor sadly. They did make up the next day, Grimmjow apologizing for being a jerk, but Ichigo knew he didn't understand it and _that_ was the problem. And of course, it wasn't the last time it happened. But sex wasn't the only thing they argued about.

_It was a rainy day, and Ichigo was walking home from the store, having forgotten his umbrella. It didn't spoil his good mood, however, because today was a special day. It had been a year since he had ventured to Hueco Mundo in search of the blue haired espada, and since they had started dating. He had the day all planned out. First he would surprise Grimmjow with flowers that he once said smelled nice, and then cook Grimmjow his favorite meal. After that, he would take his lover upstairs and enjoy a nice hot shower together, which would end with sex. After that, they would go under the covers in Ichigo's bed, and go for another round before falling asleep together._

_Walking through the front door, he didn't care about leaving puddles of cold water, he merely wanted to run upstairs and find his lover. Entering his room, he was actually surprised to see Grimmjow asleep, but still decided to wake him up._

_"Oi, sleepy head, I've got something for you." He said, gently shaking his lover. Grimmjow blinked his eyes open, looking at Ichigo confusedly._

_"Why are you dripping wet? You're gonna get sick." Grimmjow said, noticing the puddle around Ichigo's feet. He then noticed the bouquet of flowers, and how big Ichigo's smile was._

_"I don't care, it won't ruin today. Now come down stairs, I've got a surprise for you." Ichigo said, and Grimmjow reluctantly did as he was told. He honestly had no idea what the berry was up to._

_"What's this all about? Is it my birthday or something?" He asked, and noticed how Ichigo's smile faltered. That was never a good sign._

_"No, idiot, it's our anniversary." He said, handing Grimmjow the flowers._

_"Anni...versary?" Grimmjow repeated, confusedly taking the flowers._

_"Yeah, you know, anniversary. It's been a whole year since we've been together, and I wanted to make it special." Ichigo explained, making Grimmjow quirk an eyebrow._

_"A whole...year? It's been that long already? Damn..." Grimmjow said, though he really didn't understand the whole concept._

_"Well? Don't you have anything to say?" Ichigo asked, feeling hopeful despite his lovers confused face._

_"Um...thanks, I guess. I had no idea it was such a big deal." He said, sniffing the flowers despite not understanding anything. They really did smell good._

_"What do you mean you had no idea?" Ichigo asked, the smile completely disappearing now. Grimmjow sweat dropped, knowing he must have said the wrong thing again._

_"I-I just mean...uh...w-what kind of surprise is there?" He asked, trying to change the subject._

_"You don't even care, do you?! I went through all this trouble, all for you to not even remember! A whole year, for nothing!" Ichigo yelled, storming out of his room._

_"Well, why would I remember that?! Who keeps track of those things anyways?! And what do you mean for nothing!" Grimmjow yelled, chasing after his lover._

_"You heard me, you dick!"_

_"Oh, so now I'm a dick?!"_

_"You've always been a dick!"_

_"Oh, that's real nice!"_

Ichigo shook the memory away, not wanting to think about it anymore. Of course, they had made up later, like every other time. Their fights weren't just about those things, though, and they weren't few and far between. Maybe at first, but then they started happening more and more, and got even _more_ violent. They fought about everything, and even if Grimmjow apologized, Ichigo knew he didn't understand.

"It wasn't just about sex and forgetting important dates, like our anniversary or my birthday or even his _own_ birthday. He never told me anything. Sometimes he would seem sad, or mad, or even scared, but when I asked about it he would shut down and keep me out. I felt like he didn't trust me. And of course, he just didn't understand anything, or _try_ to, and he would be so _mean_. Hmph...I'm glad he's not here." Ichigo said, feeling something wet slide down his cheek. He then mentally smacked himself for crying over Grimmjow.

"I wonder if he's even worried about me..."

* * *

"That's it! I can't take it anymore! I have to go find Ichigo!" Grimmjow yelled, kicking the door open and attempting to leave. Renji tackled him, and Osho had to help keep the man down, who was clawing at the floor trying to move.

"We can't yet! Besides, you don't even have a sword! How do you plan on saving Ichigo without that?" Renji said, making Grimmjow stop squirming.

"Where's my sword?" He asked, having just acknowledged it's absence.

"It's with Ichigo's. We're going to reforge it as soon as Captain Kuchiki wakes up." Senjumaru said, watching as Grimmjow reluctantly sat back down.

"I can't keep waiting like this! Do you not understand that he's in danger?" Grimmjow said exasperatedly.

"We understand completely, but you must trust in him. Ichigo is strong, and won't go down easily."

"I know...but..."

"It's perfectly understandable to be worried about him, considering the bond you two share, but rushing into things will get you nowhere. When Byakuya wakes up, we will reforge the swords and then talk of strategy. Only a certain amount of shinigami can leave the Soul Society, since we can't afford to leave it unguarded, and many want to go find him." Hikifune said, making Grimmjow sigh in frustration. He didn't want to go anywhere with shinigami. Ichigo was _his_ lover, and _his_ only, so _he_ should be the one saving him.

"Oi, look who's finally awake!" Tenjiro said, making Renji jump up in surprise and rush over to Byakuya.

"C-Captain?" He asked tentatively, watching as Byakuya's gray eyes looked at him slowly.

"Renji, where are we?" He asked, and then looked mildly surprised as he was suddenly trapped in a bubble.

"Hello, Captain Kuchiki. I'm glad to see you're awake. Now, if you'll kindly come with me, we'll get you into some nicer clothes and then I'll explain what has happened." Senjumaru said, already making her way towards the separate room.

"Very well, but I assure you I can walk." He said, giving off a small amount of annoyance. Byakuya Kuchiki did _not_ like being carried.

"And I assure _you_, Captain, this is much easier." She replied, smiling as Byakuya scowled and huffed angrily.

"Ah, he really is a Kuchiki. Spoiled brat." Osho said, and despite the disrespectful comment about his clan, Ginrei smiled. Byakuya hadn't changed too much after all.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter sort of well done. I wasn't really in the writing mood when I did this, so please excuse the crappyness. Man, I felt awful writing those flashbacks. I'm making Grimmjow be such a jerk DX but don't worry, it'll get better, I promise. Anyways, keep up with the reviewing guys! I'm loving it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Christmas break, FINALLY! Now I can get back on track with writing this thing. Unless I loose motivation, which is highly likely. What with the holidays coming up, I'm sure to get distracted. Once again, I have no idea what's to come for this story. I mean, I have the ending somewhat planned out, but the problem is GETTING there. I'm feeling a lot like Grimmjow— impatient. So, if things start speeding up a little (or a lot) I apologize, but focusing on every single detail and moving slowly just isn't my thing. That actually really sucks, since this story requires that in order to be good. So, I'll try, but I make no promises.**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Tite Kubo owns Bleach, and that's starting to worry me, since he killed off Sasakibe and the Head Captain. (And almost Byakuya, Kenny, Ichigo, Ichigo again, and again, every espada except Grimmjow and Halibel and I guess Neliel, Kyoraku kind of, Ukitake when Wonderweiss stabbed him, GIN! :( And the list goes on.) So yes, Kubo+Bleach=me worrying. But I still own nothing.**

* * *

It didn't take much explaining with Byakuya, and he adapted to the situation rather quickly. The noble did seem genuinely surprised to hear about the Head Captain's death, and seemed rather saddened by the news. His surprise only intensified when he saw the familiar face of his grandfather, though it really shouldn't have surprised him, since he was aware of Ginrei being in the Royal Guard. Rukia had also awakened, and didn't much like waking up in Renji's arms. After thoroughly punching him, and realizing where she was, she quickly apologized to the Royal Guard and sat up straight. With everyone being awake now, they could think up a strategy. As Hikifune previously stated, only a certain amount of shinigami could go to Hueco Mundo, since the Soul Society couldn't afford to be left unguarded.

"I think we should keep as many Captains there as possible, in case of another attack." Renji suggested, earning a disapproving look from Byakuya, who didn't like the idea of his lover going into enemy territory without him.

"Our opponents are strong, Renji, and I do not think lieutenant class shinigami can take them alone. Even you do not stand much of a chance, being without your bankai." Byakuya said, reminding the red head of that very depressing fact.

"Yeah, but if we send Captains and people who still have a bankai, what happens if they invade the Soul Society again? Nobody will be there to stop them. And another thing, if we send our strongest shinigami, and those Quincies just take their bankais, then what? Nobody in the whole Seireitei will be strong enough!" Renji explained, having obviously put a lot of thought into this.

"I understand the situation, Renji, but we do not have many options at this point. What I am wondering about, is why the Quincies would invade us again. They defeated the Head Captain, captured Ichigo, and stole some of our bankais. What more could they want?" Byakuya said, looking at Renji for some sort of answer.

"I think they want everyones bankai, though. Why would they just stop after getting a few?"

"Why do they want them at all?" Grimmjow asked, finally getting involved in the conversation.

"Why would any enemy want their opponents greatest weapon? They want to weaken the Soul Society and gain enough power. What we do not know, however, is what they plan to do after that. We haven't had much time to observe these Quincies, due to the fact that they attacked us so suddenly." Byakuya explained, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Not knowing your enemies motive was never a good thing.

"They obviously want Ichigo, though. I feel like if we all go to Hueco Mundo to save him, that we'll be falling into their trap." Renji stated.

"So, you're saying Ichigo's like a distraction for us? But why?" Grimmjow asked, not liking that thought at all.

"Not just a distraction. They want him for something else, too. It's like they're killing two birds with one stone."

"They plan to use Ichigo for their own advantage, and while we are focused on him, they will make a move. Whether it be invading the Soul Society again, or capturing those who go, we cannot be sure." Byakuya said, agreeing with Renji. The more they talked about it, the worse Grimmjow felt.

"Yeah, but how do we know they're even planning that?" Renji asked, making a good point.

"We don't. The fact of the matter is, we have no idea what they are planning. We can only guess and think of some sort of plan." Byakuya replied grimly.

"Well then, let's get on with it. We need a plan. Obviously, taking the whole Gotei 13 is a bad idea, but taking too little soldiers would be pointless. So, we'll just have to balance it out." Grimmjow said, feeling his anxiousness rear it's ugly head back in.

"If I may, I would suggest analyzing who in the Soul Society still has a bankai, and who would like to go." Senjumaru said, speaking up after thinking it over for a while.

"We would have to go back, then." Renji realized, glancing at Grimmjow briefly. The mans impatience was obvious to everybody, and certainly the idea of taking more time to go back to the Soul Society wasn't pleasant.

Grimmjow did not look happy, and growled, "Let's just go, then. We've spent enough time here."

"Ah ah, Grimmjow, we still have to reforge yours and Ichigo's swords. But don't worry, it shouldn't take long." Senjumaru said, making Grimmjow groan.

"It_ hopefully_ won't take long, you mean. We have to go see _him_. Oetsu Nimaiya." Hikifune said, not sounding too pleased.

"What's wrong with him?" Renji asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't say anythings wrong with him, he's just very unpredictable." She explained.

"Well then, let's go see this Nimaiya guy already. The sooner he reforges our swords, the sooner I can get to Ichigo." Grimmjow said, already making his way out the door.

* * *

After walking down some seriously sketchy stares, walking for a while, and then walking back up said sketchy stairs, they arrived on a new platform and entered another large building. On the way, Hikifune explained that Oetsu Nimaiya was the person who created the zanpakuto, and that the Soul King recognized that as a significant contribution to the Soul Society. She further explained that each Royal Guard member has contributed something to the Soul Society, herself having created the Soul Candy.

"So, there's only five platforms, yet there's six of you here." Grimmjow said, having just noticed that fact.

"There's a reason behind that, but it's nothing you need to worry about." Senjumaru said, glancing quickly at Ginrei. Grimmjow was about to enter, when there was suddenly a blade at his throat. Hikifune sighed, and Grimmjow noticed.

"_Who_..are _you_?" A new voice said, and Grimmjow craned his neck to look behind him. He actually felt like laughing, at first sight of the man. He was dark skinned, with a section of his dark hair shaved and dyed bright green. He wore yellow sunglasses with blue lenses, green slippers with gold trimming, and shortened hakama. Over his dark green shihakusho, he wore a puffer jacket and captains haori. The guy looked plain out weird, really.

"Oetsu, please lower your sword. He's a guest, for crying out loud." Tenjiro said, putting a hand on the mans shoulder. The man seemed to consider for a moment, looking Grimmjow up and down, before pulling back his sword and grinning widely.

"An espada? You must be that guy the Soul King was so obsessed with! Well, come in!" He said, going from hostile to hospitable in a flash. He led them all to a round table, similar to the one at Urahara's, and the group sat down.

"So, what can I do ya for?" He asked, clasping his fingers together.

"Oetsu, we need you to reforge two swords. One is for Ichigo Kurosaki, the boy you heard about, and the other is his." Senjumaru explained, pointing a thumb at Grimmjow.

"Say, isn't that kid supposed to be here?" Oetsu said, looking around for Ichigo.

"Unfortunately, he was captured by the Quincies."

"The Quincies, ya say...well, that's a problem. You, what's your name, boy?" Oetsu asked Grimmjow, who glared at being called a boy.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Can you fix my sword or what?" He asked, feeling his impatience grow.

"Well of course I can! In fact, I can do it in the matter of seconds! But, I have to make sure you're deserving of it, first." He exclaimed with a toothy grin, and expertly blocked a punch from Grimmjow.

"I don't have time for this, dammit! If I don't save Ichigo, who knows what will happen!" He yelled, an infuriating image of Ichigo being chained up coming to his mind. Oetsu seemed to consider this for a moment, looking deathly serious, before once again beaming.

"So, this Ichigo fellow, you're close to him, yeah?" He asked, making Grimmjow look at him confusedly.

"Um...yeah. Why does that matter?" He asked, forgetting all of his previous anger.

"So, would you say that, oh I don't know, he's your reason for fighting? Is he someone to protect, to even die for? Do you owe him anything?"

"Well...yeah. Yeah he is." Grimmjow said honestly, not knowing where this was going. The man started laughing, making Grimmjow scowl.

"Good answer, Mr. Grimmjow, very good answer." He laughed, making Grimmjow growl angrily.

"Can you just fix the damn swords already before I—"

"Already done." He said, pulling the two swords out of nowhere.

"But..but when did you even..."

"I created the zanpakuto, did you really think I wouldn't know what I'm doing?" Was all he said, handing Grimmjow Pantera and Senjumaru Zangetsu. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes, noticing that something was different about his sword.

"What did you do to Pantera?" He asked, looking at the man accusingly.

"I fixed it, of course. You may notice some minor differences while fighting, but it's nothing to worry about. Now, don't you have someone to save?" He asked, making Grimmjow tighten his hold on Pantera and nod in understanding.

"Right. Let's go then." Senjumaru said, and Oetsu quickly rushed them out before smiling widely and shutting the door.

"That man..." Hikifune sighed.

"I agree with you completely. Now, I believe we should send these four on their way. If you follow me, I'll take you back to the Tenchuren and we'll send you back to the Soul Society." Senjumaru said, and so they ventured back down the odd floating stairs.

* * *

The group arrived at the same place they entered, and Senjumaru muttered a spell while standing in front of the Tenchuren. A door suddenly opened, and she stood back, ready to say her goodbyes.

"Just step in and Osho here will send you back. I'm certain you will accomplish your goals, and we will meet again." She said, smiling warmly. Rukia was the first to enter the Tenchuren, saying her thanks on the way. Renji followed, and then Grimmjow, and then Byakuya. When he passed his grandfather, however, he stopped.

"It was nice seeing you again, grandfather." Byakuya said, letting the smallest of smiles grace his features.

"Indeed it was. When I see you again, we will catch up." Ginrei said, also smiling. Byakuya nodded, turning to leave, but a hand suddenly caught his wrist and tugged him forward.

"Take care of my granddaughter, and the one you love." He added, making Byakuya's eyes widen more than usual. Ginrei let his grandson walk away dumbfounded, chuckling softly. They all waved goodbye before the door shut and then vanished, as if it were never there. Grimmjow suddenly got flashbacks of the terrible cannon incident, and a thought occurred to him.

"There's nothing to hold onto in here...is there..." He said flatly, his eye twitching.

"Um..no? Why?" Renji asked, noticing the odd facial expression. The ground beneath them shook, and it felt as though they were being lifted suddenly. Outside, Osho grunted as he picked up the large pillar, preparing to throw it.

"Shit." Was all Grimmjow said, as the pillar was tossed at an alarming speed, making the group land flat on their faces.

"Aw, no screaming this time?" Senjumaru asked with a pout.

"What, you guys couldn't help me lift that thing?" Osho asked, dusting his hands off.

"It's easier for us to do it when we're inside. You know this, Osho." Senjumaru said, giggling at his pissed off face.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Tenjiro asked, looking at the space where the Tenchuren used to be.

"Of course they will. They're shinigami after all." Hikifune said, also looking at the space.

"That doesn't make it better..."

* * *

"I'm really getting tired of that." Grimmjow grumbled, nursing his head as they stood up. The invisible door opened again, revealing the fourth division. Unohana stood there calmly, like having a giant pillar crashing into her squad was normal.

"Oh, you're all back. Captain Kuchiki, Lieutenants Abarai and Kuchiki, Grimmjow, do you all feel better? She asked, smiling her gentle smile.

"Actually, yes, we feel much better now." Byakuya said, feeling as if something...changed, about Unohana. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Very good to hear. I assume you also got your sword repaired, Grimmjow? And Ichigo's?" She asked, and Grimmjow went pale.

"Shit! Ichigo's sword! I left it with Senjumaru!" He said, pulling at his hair. The roof suddenly caved in, as another Tenchuren crashed through. The door opened, revealing Ichigo's sword with a small note attached, which only had a smiley face that Senjumaru undoubtedly put.

"...Never mind..." He said flatly, retrieving the sword.

"Oh my, looks like there's even more to repair now." Unohana said, mostly to herself.

"Erm...anyways, we came back in order to see who wants to save Ichigo, and who still has bankai." Renji said, focusing back onto the task at hand.

"I do believe that only you, Captain Kuchiki, Head Captain Yamamoto, Captain Soifon, Captain Hitsuguya, and Captain Komamura have lost their bankais. As for who wants to go, I'm certain there are many, but we cannot let them all go." Unohana explained, making Grimmjow's eyes widen.

"That many? How can we fight them when that many Captains don't have bankai?" Renji asked in disbelief. It was then that Byakuya figured out what was different about Unohana.

"Captain Unohana, if you don't mind my asking, why do you have your sword with you? I thought your lieutenant usually carried it." Byakuya said, drawing everyones attention to her hip where her sword was.

"It is a time of war, is it not? Everyone must do their part, and I am no exception. And also...much has changed since you've left." She said grimly, an unfamiliar look of sadness on her face.

"Care to explain?" Renji asked, feeling that it must be important if it's got Unohana sad.

"Many were injured in the fight, one of the casualties being Captain Zaraki. As per orders...of the new Head Captain...I am to teach him the art of killing." She explained, struggling to get the words out.

"The new Head Captain? But..but who?"

"Head Captain...Kyoraku." She said, looking at the floor. The world seemed to stop for a moment, as they processed the words.

"Kyoraku...has taken his place?" Byakuya asked, looking uncharacteristicly shocked. Unohana nodded, still not believing it herself. Shunsui just didn't seem like a person who would take that kind of a job. Though, at this point, there wasn't really a choice.

"He couldn't believe it either. But, he used his power right away, and ordered me to train Kenpachi immediately. I actually just got done waking him up with a kido spell." She said, making Byakuya narrow his eyes.

"But, why you? That man is a barbarian, and certainly doesn't need to be taught how to kill. And..pardon my saying, but I've never seen you fight with a sword." The noble said, voicing what the others had been thinking.

"I haven't been a Captain for over 200 years for nothing, Captain Kuchiki. And while I agree that he is a barbaric man, we need him at full power to win. I am the only one who can do this." She said, making Grimmjow look at her with a little more respect. She didn't seem like a fighter, but if she was the only one who could teach _Kenpachi_ how to kill, she must really be something.

"I will take your word for that, Captain Unohana. How long until he is done?" Byakuya asked, considering actually bringing the man with them to Hueco Mundo.

"I cannot say for certain, but perhaps within three days. You know how he is." She said, making Grimmjow snap his eyes up at her.

"I'm not waiting three more days. Ichigo needs help, _now_. You can wait around all you want, but I'm not doing it." He said, leaving no room for arguing. It didn't deter Unohana one bit, though.

"You must go after him in full health, Grimmjow. Why not rest here first, gather up a rescue team, and then leave? You need a strategy in order to win." She said, holding back on _smiling_ for now.

"I'm tired of you people telling me that! I've been resting since he got captured! I can't wait any longer!" He yelled, no longer having patience for shinigami and their ways.

"I'm afraid I must insist." She said, unleashing the smile. Grimmjow did falter, but not completely, which surprised Unohana some.

"Che, you can just stay here. I don't need you shinigami to help me anyways." He said, before snapping his fingers and opening a garganta. With Pantera at his hip and Zangetsu on the other, he jumped in, ready to finally find Ichigo and bring him back home in one piece.

And then they would be okay again.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, one step closer to the good part. Seriously, Kubo needs to stop adding characters and changing shit! It's messing with my story line! I had this epic ending all planned out, and then bam! He ruins it! Ugh -.- Patience is a virtue, one that I don't have. Anyways, please leave reviews. Sorry if it's boring right now, but the good stuff is coming soon, hopefully. And now my phones being stupid, so I need to stop writing before it decides to not save everything I just wrote.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Oh...how I've procrastinated...again...but, now that the holidays are finally over, I can focus once again on moving forward with this. This chapter may be...oh, what's a good word...not necessarily dark, but...depressing, I guess sums it up. My thumbs are just about frozen off, so writing this is gonna take some time -.- There's gonna be lots of errors to fix, that's for sure. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

* * *

When Ichigo woke again, it was to the sound of his cell door being opened and chains being dragged against the cold stone floor. Halibel wasn't there, he noticed briefly, and then remembered just what was going on. He struggled to break free from the guards, but they quickly clamped the chains on his wrists and ankles, and even went so far as to put a collar around his neck and had a chain for a leash. They dragged him out of his cell and through a door, which led to a stairway that headed upwards. Once up, he was further dragged to another room, full of instruments used for torture. Ichigo had his head down, not wanting to see the room, but once he heard the sound of a whip cracking his head snapped up. There, bound by chains which were attached to the ceiling and floor, and hanging limply from them, was Halibel. Ichigo instantly regretted looking, having witnessed the offending whip splitting the skin on her back open. She didn't make a sound, but instead bit her lip until it bled. Ichigo was so stunned he didn't notice that he too was being chained up, just like Halibel, until it was too late. He tried with all of his might to break free, but it was in vain.

"Ah, so refreshing to see one actually struggle. This one gave up on that long ago. You'll be fun to break." The Quincy soldier said, giving Ichigo a lecherous smile. The man was standing next to a large metal table, trying to decide which torture device to use. Ichigo felt the cold, creeping feeling of fear wash over his senses, darting his eyes around the room trying to figure a way out.

"Do not think about escaping, Ichigo, for it is useless." A voice said, making Ichigo crane his neck to see behind him. Juhabach stood in the doorway, giving Ichigo a calculating look and walking over to stand in front of him.

"Just what the hell are you going to do to me? What do you want from me?" Ichigo asked, giving Juhabach a vicious glare.

"I simply want your cooperation, my son. You are one of the war potentials, and a very valuable one at that. With you on our side, our victory is practically guaranteed."

"So you think torturing me will get you cooperation? You're sick! And what do you mean I'm a war potential?" Ichigo asked, and jolted back as Juhabach grabbed his chin and leaned in until their noses were almost touching.

"You would be surprised how effective it is. Destroying somebody completely and then rebuilding them is the best way to earn an ally. And you, Ichigo, are our greatest ally. I apologize to you now for what is about to happen, but keep in mind that once you are with us, I will tell you everything." Juhabach said lowly, squeezing Ichigo's chin lightly before stepping back and walking towards the door.

"Oh, and Haschwald?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at the man.

"Yes, my Liege?" He asked, standing up straight and stiff.

"Don't give him the same treatment as her," He nods at Halibel, "Not yet. Save that for later." He said, and then exited the room. The other unnamed Quincy continued his administrations on Halibel, and Haschwald resumed looking over the instruments. He glanced briefly at the door, and then shrugged and picked up a whip with small spikes at the ends. Ichigo felt his heart speed up.

"He said to go easy on you, but I can tell how strong-willed you are. Going easy will get us nowhere. So, while I won't go too hard on you, it certainly will match the treatment she is getting." He said, referring to Halibel. He walked towards Ichigo, circling him like a vulture would when it finds it's meal, before cracking the whip without warning. Ichigo felt his skin burn violently, and couldn't hold back the scream. The tiny spikes were stuck in his skin, but were swiftly yanked out, leaving small holes. This happened five more times, each time getting harder and harder until the skin on his back split open just like Halibel's had. Haschwald then walked back over to the table, put the whip back, and grabbed a bottle full of a strange looking liquid. Ichigo was panting harshly, trying to regain his normal breathing, but gasped and screamed loudly as a searing hot sensation slid down his back, running over the fresh wounds and singing the skin. The liquid, which Ichigo figured was either wax, hot water, or even acid of some sort, was then dumped onto his head. Haschwald smashed the glass on Ichigo's burning head, and used the jagged piece to cut into his shoulder blades, leaving deep gashes. The glass was then thrown onto the floor, shattering by Ichigo's feet.

"Quit your yelling, fool. It makes you look weak." Haschwald said, sneering at Ichigo while looking for something on the table. He picked up an odd looking black device, and Ichigo squinted to see it. When it started buzzing and giving off sparks, he shut his eyes tightly. He tried to not yell, but when the taser met his skin and shocked his body, he lost control of everything and then blacked out. Haschwald smirked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a syringe labeled 'adrenaline.' It only took a few seconds for Ichigo to jolt awake with a pained gasp.

"Keep awake, now, you've still got the whole day left." Haschwald said, laughing cruelly and making Ichigo lower his head.

**Meanwhile in Hueco Mundo, far from the Vandenreich Headquarters...**

It took a while for Grimmjow to exit the garganta, and even after that it took him hours of fighting hollows to move forward. He didn't even have any idea where they had taken Ichigo, and couldn't find any spiritual pressure to track. As much as he wanted to keep going, his wounds from the last batch of hollows were keeping him from doing so.

_'Dammit..it's been so long since I fought. Guess I got rusty...but I can't let that slow me down. Ichigo's been here too long, who knows what's happened so far. I have to go find him!'_ Grimmjow thought, and used sonido to continue on. He winced as the large gash in his leg throbbed and bled more, and he was pretty sure that last hollow managed to break a few ribs, but this wouldn't stop him. Nothing could stop him. That's what he thought, at least, until a giant clawed hand smacked him and sent him tumbling into the sand. He looked up, still reeling from the impact, and saw another group of large hollows standing over him. With shaky legs, he stood and readied Pantera, only to be blasted from behind with a cero. His vision blurred for a moment, but he could see the giant hand reaching for him. He reached for Pantera, but only grasped sand. His sword had been blasted away from him.

He shut his eyes, waiting for the hand to grab him and then probably kill him, but it never came. His eyes snapped open, and then widened at the sight of someone blocking the hand with their sword. That fire red hair could only belong to one person, and Grimmjow felt a burst of anger towards the man. He really didn't want to be saved by some shinigami, especially from a mere hollow.

"Need some help?" Renji asked, using Zabimaru's shikai to stretch up to the hollows neck and cut it, effectively killing it.

"No! I told you already, I don't need you people to help!" Grimmjow yelled, getting up and retrieving Pantera.

"Well, it certainly didn't look that way a minute ago." Renji replied flatly, making a vein in Grimmjow's head pop.

"Shut up! I had that completely under control!"

"Sure you did."

"I did!"

"Both of you, stop arguing. We have a mission to complete." Rukia said, making her presence known to Grimmjow. The ex espada turned to look at her, and felt his ire rise. Byakuya stood next to her, along with Hanataro, Ikkaku, and Yumichika. He also noticed, albeit belatedly, that the other hollows were gone as well.

"Oh, great, there's more of you." He grumbled, looking at Hanataro suspiciously. The small healer shifted under his stare, beginning to sweat nervously.

"Who're you? And what's with all that shit you're carrying? You a pack mule or something?" He asked, referring to the large backpack strapped to his back, looking three times his own weight.

"I-Im Hanataro Yamada, and this is full of medical supplies and other necessities we'll need for the journey, l-like food and water and shelter." Hanataro said, taking a cautionary step back.

"Shelter? You canteen be serious! You're all planning on taking rest stops, aren't you?!" Grimmjow yelled, making Hanataro step back again.

"It's necessary if we want to move forward. You certainly look like you need it." Renji said.

"I don't need anything! And I'm sure as hell not wasting my time sleeping and eating and—" Grimmjow was abruptly cut off as something hard hit him in the head, making him fall unconscious. Behind him stood Byakuya, looking as composed as ever.

"Hanataro, did you find a place where we can set up camp?" He asked, dusting his hands off.

"Y-yes sir! There's a cave not too far from here!" Hanataro replied nervously.

"Very well. Lead us there, and Renji, take care of him." He said. Renji threw Grimmjow over his shoulder and followed his Captain/lover, alongside Rukia.

"Do you think he'll actually stay with us once he wakes up?" She asked, looking up at Renji.

"He won't want to, but we'll just have to make him." Renji replied with a shrug, and somehow Rukia thought that wouldn't be so easy.

* * *

After setting up a few tents, a fire pit, concealing their reiatsus and tying Grimmjow down with plenty of kido spells, the group was ready to rest for a while. Ikkaku and Yumichika volunteered to venture out and search for Ichigo's spiritual pressure, and kill any hollows in the way of course. They never were ones for downtime. Renji was cooking food, talking with Byakuya, while Rukia and Hanataro sat with Grimmjow in his tent.

"Should we wake him up yet? He's all healed now, but shouldn't he eat?" Rukia asked, not quite understanding why she felt concern towards the man. Ichigo seemed to love him, and if he mattered to Ichigo, then he mattered to her too.

"W-well...yes, but you know he won't eat. I don't know how strong these bakudo spells are, either." Hanataro said, obviously not liking the idea of Grimmjow being awake. He could just picture the rampage now.

"So then...do we force feed him?"

"F-force feed him? But..how would he swallow?"

"Maybe a liquid diet then..."

"I'm not sure putting our hands near his mouth is a good idea..."

"Why not? He's unconscious."

"Yes...but look at those teeth! I don't want him to bite us!"

"That's true...do we have a funnel or something?" Rukia asked, and then began rummaging through one of Hanataro's many packs. Grimmjow felt a vein pop, having heard their ridiculous conversation. He snapped his eyes open, nearly scaring Hanataro to death.

"Force feed me and you'll die. I'm not an animal, you know." He said, trying to sit up and failing.

"So...you'll eat willingly?" Rukia asked, putting away the random funnel she had found.

"If you let me out, yes, I will."

"Hmm...okay." Rukia said, but before she could break the kido, a voice stopped her.

"Rukia, do not be so gullible." Byakuya said, entering the tent and sitting on his knees by Grimmjow.

"Gullible? What do you mean?" She asked, blushing at being scolded by her Nii-sama.

"By letting him go, you may be doing just what he wants you to, and then he will escape." Byakuya explained, looking at Grimmjow blankly.

"Oh, come on! Why are you people obsessed with my well being! You know what? I was going to eat, but now you can forget it!" Grimmjow yelled, cursing Byakuya for discovering his plans.

"Then, we will knock you out again and force feed you." Byakuya said, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"The hell you will! Look, just give me back one wrist and bring me some food." Grimmjow said, wiggling his right wrist.

"I am no mans servant." Byakuya said, giving Grimmjow a look that resembled what a spoiled five year old brat would give his mother after being told what to do.

"What? Well then what the hell am I suppose to do!? Sheesh, how do you deal with this guy?" Grimmjow asked, looking up at Renji.

"Simple. I eat on my own, like a big boy." He replied, grinning smugly.

"I _would_ eat on my own if you would just let me go!" He yelled, squirming under the restraints.

"Enough. We will let you go." Byakuya said, snapping his fingers. The kido vanished, and Grimmjow stood quickly, stretching his stiff limbs.

"But Nii-sama! What if he escapes again?" Rukia asked, looking at her brother with wide eyes.

"He will not. We must have trust in him, Rukia." Byakuya said, although Rukia had a feeling he had a trick up his sleeve.

"Yeah, have some trust in me." Grimmjow said, walking out of the tent and grabbing some fish Renji had been cooking over the fire. He looked back, and then looked at the entrance to the cave, looked back again, and then in a flash was gone.

"He's getting away!" Rukia shouted, standing to run after him. A sudden thud stopped her, and Grimmjow groaned as he landed back onto the floor.

"What was that?" He asked, looking back up at the entrance. Curiously, he reached out a hand, and was surprised when it touched a solid surface. An invisible wall had been placed, and when Grimmjow was close enough, his wrists and ankles glowed pink, along with the wall. Someone had put up a barrier specifically for him, and Grimmjow had a good idea who it was.

"Damn you, you noble bastard!" He yelled, scrambling to get back up and run after Byakuya, who in turn shot him back down with hado.

"Oh, I knew this would happen!" Hanataro cried, cowering behind Renji. Grimmjow decided to just lay there, huffing in defeat and crossing his arms, and though he would never admit it, the great ex sexta espada was pouting.

"Oi, I think you killed him, Byakuya. He's not getting back up." Renji said, nudging said noble with his elbow.

"He's given up. For now, at least." Byakuya said, nibbling on his own fish.

"Well, might as well bring him back over, ne?" Renji said, walking over to Grimmjow and holding out a hand to help the man get up. Grimmjow growled, but reluctantly took the offer. Renji then handed him a new fish, since his had been discarded earlier. Despite earlier denial of being hungry and needing food, Grimmjow wolfed it down like a starving cat, which in a sense he was.

"Say, weren't there two more of you?" Grimmjow asked, belatedly noticing Ikkaku and Yumichika's absence.

"They went out to search for any sign of Ichigo's reiatsu and to kill any surrounding hollows. They might be gone awhile, considering how much they enjoy fighting." Rukia explained, munching on her own fish.

"So that means we're gonna be here a while too?" Grimmjow asked, feeling his previous ire rise again.

"Not necessarily. We don't need to wait for those two. They can manage on their own, just like we can. However, we are resting for a good reason. Due to the fact that they haven't returned yet, it can only mean they either encountered the enemy, or they have yet to find any trace of Ichigo's spiritual pressure." Byakuya said, giving Grimmjow a serious look.

"Which means we need to rest up as much as possible, to fight, or to be prepared to run for a while and fend of any hollows. You already know how taxing that can be." Renji finished, giving Grimmjow a smirk. If looks could kill, Renji would have just dropped dead.

"I know you're worried about Ichigo, Grimmjow, we are too. But you know how he is, he won't just give up. We're not just wasting time laying around. We want to be at full strength, so that when we do find him, we'll be able to get out of there safely." Rukia said, giving Grimmjow a reassuring smile. He took her words into consideration, and they helped him feel a little better, but he still had a gnawing feeling in his gut. Something was wrong with Ichigo, and he just knew it.

* * *

After passing out three more times, and getting more adrenaline injected into his system, Ichigo could no longer fade back out of consciousness. He felt like his heart was about to explode, along with the rest of him. His back burned, his muscles ached, his throat was dry from screaming, and he could hardly keep his eyes open. After getting tasered thoroughly, Haschwald chose a different method, by means of repeatedly beating his skull. He could now add a concussion to his list of problems. Then, after getting ice cold water poured over him continuously, giving him the feeling of drowning, he was dragged back to his cell and thrown onto the floor once again. A moment later, Halibel joined him, looking to be on the verge of death.

"Are you okay?" He asked, despite it being a dumb question. Of course she wasn't.

"I'll live. They've done worse before." She said, her voice sounding forced and breathless. Ichigo couldn't imagine what she meant by that.

"I wish I knew some sort of healing kido..." He said, staring at his hands. It never occurred to him why he didn't learn kido, and now he regretted it. He always had Orihime for that, or Unohana or even Hanataro.

"You don't have instant regeneration, do you?" She said, looking up at him with tired green eyes.

"I don't think so...I mean, I'm part hollow, but the only time I remember having that ability is when I fought Ulquiorra and was fully hollowfied. Why? Do you?"

"Yes, but unfortunately it takes some energy to do, and I don't have much of that anymore. I can sometimes heal minor wounds, but that is all."

"That can't be good, though. They don't provide any medical attention at all? I thought they wanted us to join them. How can they hope to gain soldiers if we all die?" Ichigo said, wincing as a gash on his back split further open and itched painfully.

"They only save those who are most important to them. In fact, the only other ones that I've seen enslaved like us, are the espada who survived. They tried to keep them alive, to a point, but the others...simply lost the will to live." Halibel said, looking down for a moment.

"So...have they ever had to save you?" He asked hesitantly, not quite sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"...Only once. But I have never lost my will to live." She replied, giving Ichigo a look he couldn't quite describe. Ichigo nodded, deciding to let her get some sleep. His mind wandered again, and he thought about his friends. He wondered if they were looking for him, and if they were okay. He wondered if the Soul Society was still in one piece, and if they would get invaded again. And he once again wondered what Grimmjow was doing.

_'Are you worried about me? You damn well deserve to be worried sick. But I doubt you are. You're probably laying in my bed, all warm and comfortable, waiting for me to just show up. Well, I'm not this time. I'm stuck here until somebody comes, and it damn well won't be you. Shit...I wonder if I'll ever lose the will to live...am I gonna let these guys beat me? Am I going to just let them brainwash me or kill me?_

_No...hell no I'm not. I'm going to come out of this alive, and there going to pay for this. Whether someone comes for me, or if I just break out myself, it doesn't matter. I refuse to die! I'll protect everybody!'_ Ichigo thought, his spiritual pressure rising with new found determination. He looked at Halibel's sleeping form, and felt his power rise even more.

_'Including you..'_

* * *

"Can I come in?" Rukia asked, standing by the entrance of Grimmjow's tent. Having been in deep thought, Grimmjow snapped his head up, being a little startled by the sudden intrusion.

"Uh..sure, why not." He said, feeling defensive suddenly. The idea of a soul reaper suddenly wanting to talk with him never did sit well with him. Rukia walked in, sitting next to Grimmjow. She made sure not to sit so close, but at the same time she didn't want too much distance.

"So, would you like to talk? Somethings clearly bothering you, besides the obvious." She said, deciding to just be straightforward.

"And what exactly is the obvious?"

"Ichigo being captured, of course. It bothers you, but I can tell there's more to it. Something else happened before they took him. Am I wrong?"

_'Damn...I underestimated her. The shrimps pretty smart.'_

"It's okay, I'm not going to make you answer. I'm just here to talk." She said, hoping to relax him some.

"Well...you're not wrong." He said, still debating if he wanted to tell her or not.

"Would you like to talk about it? It helps you feel better."

"Well...we sort of got in a fight and...broke up, I guess." He said, looking away.

"I can see why it's so important to save him, then. What was the fight about?" Rukia nodded.

"Oh, the usual. Me being an inconsiderate, emotionless, heartless asshole."

"I take it this has happened before?"

"Oh yeah. Plenty of times. This times different though..we usually would have made up by now."

"Well, that's why you're trying to find him, right? To make up and tell him he's wrong about you?" Rukia asked, looking at Grimmjow with her wide doe eyes.

"That's the thing, though. I don't think he's wrong about me. I am an asshole, and I can be inconsiderate. It's just...I've never been in a relationship before. Up until Ichigo came along, I had never even been treated...decently. Aizen was a cruel bastard..." Grimmjow shuddered, images of Aizen watching as the espada were forced to do things to each other, and what he had done to him.

"Well...," Rukia said, cocking her arm back, "Then change, idiot!" She yelled, punching him in the shoulder. Grimmjow yelped, falling onto his back.

"W-what?" He said, to stunned to say anything else.

"You need to let go of the past! You're in a relationship now, and that's what matters! If you keep getting into arguments, fix the issue! Change the bad parts about yourself! Be more considerate, show some emotion, and give him your heart! Your whole heart!" She ranted, waving her arms around.

"You...you think that will work?" He asked, looking at her curiously.

"Of course it will!" She yelled, smacking him over the head.

"Ow! Alright, I get it! I'll change!" He yelled, covering his head. A sudden vibration snapped them both out of it, and Grimmjow quickly took out Zangetsu, which was humming and shaking. It pulled Grimmjow up abruptly, forcing him out of the tent.

"W-what the hell is this? Oi! It's taking me outside! Undo that damn kido spell before I run into the wall!" He yelled, and Byakuya emerged quickly. He snapped his fingers, watching as Zangetsu lead Grimmjow outside of the cave.

"Hanataro, pack everything up. We must follow him." The noble commanded, and with surprising speed Hanataro took down the tents and started stuffing his packs. Byakuya flash stepped outside, following Grimmjow quickly.

"I think it's taking me to Ichigo! I don't know why, but I can feel it!" He cried, keeping a tight grip on the hilt. The others quickly emerged from the cave, using flash step to keep up with Grimmjow, who was now flying over the sands.

_'Now we're getting somewhere! Don't worry Ichigo, I'll be there soon! Just keep doing whatever the hell you're doing!_' Grimmjow thought happily, feeling Pantera vibrate on his hip. Unbeknownst to him, they were about to pass through a massive group of hollows.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I could not think of a good ending place, so this will have to do. I finally managed to read the actual manga, and I realized something. I've made so many mistakes. DX But, at least Grimmjow's back. Yes, I believe he's back. Who else could it be? Seriously, who else could it be o.o it has to be Grimmjow! As for this story, it sucks. I'm not satisfied with it at all. I like the plot, it's just the way I write sucks. It's like it sounds great in my head, but I can't put it into writing. Plus my vocabulary is just awful. This chapter especially failed, since I wasn't in the writing mood. I've got great ideas in my head, but the idea of typing them all out on this damn phone is just...terrible. So, I'm taking any kind of criticism. Tell me how to get better!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Alright my fellow viewers, get ready for some long chapters, I've got a lot of explaining to do. There's a lot to understand about this story, and I'm not great with explaining, so this might get tough. Just keep with me ^_^ I'm hoping—no, praying this will turn out at least somewhat like I want it to. In order to help me with that, I'll be using some lyrics. From which songs, though, I'll never say. It may or may not be in this chapter, but it most likely will be. You'll also get a good look into Grimmjow's mind, which should help you understand some things. If not, well, we're just shit outta luck.**

**And on that note, enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

* * *

The cries of hollows echoed throughout the desert, wailing as they were destroyed. An angry Grimmjow hissed as his forearm bled, finishing off another adjucha. They had been doing so _good_, until they reached a gathering of menos grande and adjucha class hollows. Grimmjow had managed to stop Zangetsu from flying around, but it still shook urgently in its sheath, humming loudly.

"Grimmjow, behind you!" Rukia shouted, just in time for Grimmjow to spin around and block an adjucha from scratching him.

"Dammit, just die already! You're in the way!" He yelled, stabbing the beast with Pantera. He was a little _off_ right now, since his sword felt so different. It still felt like Pantera, but at the same time it felt like a completely different sword.

**_You are using me improperly, Grimmjow._**

Grimmjow froze, not recognizing the strange whisper in his ears. He spun around, looking everywhere, but nothing was there. He didn't have time to think, before another adjucha swung at him, but since he was distracted he couldn't block in time. A jagged blade suddenly swooped in, ripping the hollows knuckles open and blocking it for Grimmjow. It then retracted back to it's red headed owner, letting Grimmjow finish the adjucha off.

_These damn shinigami...why are they even helping me? If they really wanted Ichigo, they would have just left me behind to die. But they knew he wouldn't like that. Still, I was their enemy once, and it's clear I don't like them. And yet...they act like it never happened. I just don't get it._

**_You fool...you need to trust them. They are following Ichigo's example and befriending you. Well, trying to at least. Don't you understand what's happening?_**

_Who the hell are you?!_

"Grimmjow! Snap out of it, will ya? We have to keep moving!" Renji yelled, jumping Grimmjow out of his thoughts. He looked around, noticing the hollows had finally been destroyed, and then glanced at Zangetsu, who was still shaking. He carefully took it out, and let it jerk him in the right direction.

"Looks like it's this way. Let's go." He said, breaking into sonido. The others followed, staying one step behind him. Occasionally Zangetsu would suddenly change directions, turning sharply and yanking Grimmjow along with it. The closer they got, the more it hummed and glowed.

And then it stopped.

"What? What happened?" Grimmjow asked, looking at Zangetsu as if it would answer.

"It stopped? But why would it stop?" Rukia asked, looking concerned.

"It must have lost its connection with Ichigo." Byakuya said, looking around cautiously. The air felt different around them, and Byakuya had a feeling something was about to happen.

"Lost its connection? But why would that happen?" Rukia asked.

"Why did it suddenly get a connection in the first place? We can't say for sure, but the fact that his own sword can't even find him means something bad happened." Renji said, a worried expression on his face.

**_Hurry! He's in danger, you must find him!_**

_Who are you?! And how do you know this?_

**_You ask who I am? How dare you! You don't deserve my power, you ingrate!_**

"Grimmjow? What's wrong?" Rukia asked, noticing the odd face Grimmjow was making.

"I think...I think my swords talking to me."

**Inside Vandenreich Headquarters, before Zangetsu lost its connection...**

Ichigo was once again dragged out of his cell, and having been asleep, he was rather startled. For a moment, he thought he had slept for a whole day, but then Halibel woke up and started yelling at the soldiers.

"Why are you taking him? It's only been an hour! He hasn't rested!"

"Why do you _care_? And anyways, we don't have to tell you anything. Now, stay quiet, or it's back to the chamber for you." One of them said, yanking on the chain around Ichigo's neck. Halibel reluctantly stayed quiet, watching as he was taken away.

"Why..why are you taking me? Is this normal?" Ichigo asked, feeling weak from his earlier beating.

"The King ordered us to take you to our reeducation rooms. Usually those are reserved for prisoners who have been weakened enough in the torture chambers, but you are a special case. He knew you wouldn't give up simply by torture, so he decided to give you special attention." The man said, and Ichigo suddenly felt sick.

"Reeducation?" He asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"That's right. You should feel honored," The man paused to open a new door, revealing a room full of things Ichigo had only glimpsed at in the twelfth division, and a man he really didn't want to see, "Getting special attention from the King himself is quite rare." He finished, throwing Ichigo down and leaving the room. Ichigo stood on shaky legs, glaring at Juhabach.

"What are you going to do to me? Why are you suddenly taking me to a different room?!" He half yelled, taking a step back as Juhabach pulled a lever, making several restraining cuffs snap open on a part of the wall.

"I am going to make you my soldier. As for the why, it's simply because you're too strong. You're will to survive is in fact _so_ strong, that it alerted your zanpakuto. You're reiatsu fluctuated and therefore gave away your location. So you see, Ichigo, I am not too pleased with you right now." Juhabach said, and in the blink of an eye, he had Ichigo pinned to the wall. He pulled the lever again, and Ichigo's wrists and ankles were once again cuffed. Another restraint was added to his neck, and around his stomach. He was stuck against the wall, standing upright, and couldn't move at all.

"These restraints will efficiently suppress your reiatsu, no matter how high it may get. Now, let's get started, shall we? You must be punished for what you've done." Juhabach said, looking at Ichigo darkly and pulling out an electric rod. From downstairs, Halibel heard his screams, and couldn't fall back asleep.

* * *

"What? Why is that weird? Our swords talk to us all the time." Renji asked, looking at Grimmjow curiously.

"It's weird because my sword has never spoken to me. Not even once." Grimmjow said, wrapping his hand around Pantera's hilt.

"How is that possible? I thought in order to have power, you had to have a connection with your sword."

"That may be true for you shinigamis, but as an espada, my power was given to me by Aizen. Before he used the hogyoku to turn me into an espada, I never had a sword. I was just an adjucha. I never needed to connect with my sword, because I already had its power." Grimmjow explained, scowling at the memory of Aizen.

"But then, why would it suddenly talk to you?" Rukia asked. Grimmjow merely shrugged.

"Perhaps when Oetsu Nimaiya reforged your sword, he changed it. They did say your sword wouldn't be the same." Byakuya said, a thoughtful look on his face.

"That's true. And aren't espadas basically half shinigami, half arrancar? Maybe when he reforged it, he brought out the shinigami half." Renji elaborated.

"So then, if I can talk to it now, doesn't that mean I have an inner world and shit like that? Ichigo told me about his once, but I didn't really get the point of it." Grimmjow asked, finding the idea of being more like a shinigami disturbing.

"That might actually be true! Maybe if you go into your inner world, you can talk with your sword and figure out what happened!" Rukia suggested, feeling hopeful at the idea.

"Maybe..but...how do I go in there?" Grimmjow asked, looking confused and slightly worried. He didn't want to do anything crazy just to see his sword.

"It's simple! You just sit like this," Rukia explained, sitting with her legs crossed, "Hold your sword like this, and close your eyes! Then just concentrate on your sword, and block everything else out." She said, and Grimmjow reluctantly did as instructed. For a moment, he wasn't sure it would work, but then everything flashed white and he was disconnected from the world. When he opened his eyes again, he was surrounded by lush greenery, and the sky was blazing with bright reds and oranges. The trees were tall and thick, and the ground was dark brown with rich dirt. In the middle of it all, was a small lake with a waterfall pouring into it. The waterfall looked as if it was coming out of the sky, not being connected to anything. Steam was rising from it, but when touched, it wasn't nearly that warm.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Grimmjow asked, looking around slowly.

"Oh, so _now_ you come here? What the hell do you think you're doing?" A voice suddenly asked, and Grimmjow spun around, looking behind him. There, standing on the clear blue water, was Grimmjow's sword spirit. It was dressed in white fur with black leopard spots, covering its arms, back, part if its chest, and only part of its legs, forming somewhat of a skirt. It had long, white cat ears perched atop its head, nestled in long white hair. Its hands and feet were black and had sharp nails, and it had a long spotted tail. Its eyes were deep blue, just like Grimmjow's, and it also had his green marks only instead they split at the ends and curved. Another noticeable feature was the armor it wore around its shoulders, hips, and calves, which resembled Grimmjow's in his release form. Overall his zanpakuto was fierce, feline, and _very_ feminine.

"You...you're _female_?! But..but how?!" Grimmjow shrieked, pointing at his sword who merely rolled her eyes.

"What, Pantera sounded _male_ to you? Maybe if you actually _listened_ to me you would have noticed!" She yelled, flicking her tail.

"Yes, it actually did! And what does that mean? You've never said anything until today!"

"I've been talking to you since you received me! You just never listened! You were so obsessed with killing and becoming strong enough to fight Ichigo, you never once took the time to actually speak with me! You're own zanpakuto!" Pantera yelled, lunging at Grimmjow and grabbing him by the collar.

"Tch, I never expected my zanpakuto to be this annoying. But, I never expected you to be a woman either." Grimmjow grumbled, yelping as he was thrown into the water.

"You're such a fool, I can't even believe it. We've got a lot of work to do." Pantera said as Grimmjow gasped for air, coughing up water.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He said, kicking his legs to stay afloat. Pantera began to take slow steps towards the water, her face serious now.

"It's about time we start training." Was all she said before lunging at Grimmjow and taking him down underwater. The blue haired man panicked at first, but then felt calm as they drifted further down into the seemingly endless spring. Everything was dark for a moment, and then they emerged into an entirely different place.

"What...what is this? Where are we?" Grimmjow asked, taking in the sight of his new surroundings. The ground was a dark pink, and looked as if it was moving. The sky was deep purple with puffs of gray clouds, and they were surrounded by even more trees, only these were dead. A trail of water poured from the sky, but vanished before it could hit the ground.

"This is the deepest part of your inner world. Here, we can train and you can unlock your true power." She explained, a sword materializing in her hand.

"My true power huh? Well then, make it quick. I've got someone to save." Grimmjow said, also unsheathing his sword.

"Believe me," She said, narrowing her eyes and preparing to charge, "I know the situation."

* * *

Ichigo's head drooped, being exhausted and half conscious. His body was covered in burns, among other things, but Juhabach wasn't done yet. He had given Ichigo some sort of pill not too long ago, and the effects were starting to kick in. He felt dizzy, nauseous, tired, and his skin felt over sensitive. Juhabach had given him some kind of drug, probably to make the pain worse. Another dreadful part of it all, was Ichigo had no idea how long it had been since he was brought into the room, let alone being captured. Hell, he didn't even know where he was or if anyone was coming for him. The only reiatsu he could sense was the Quincies, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"I am losing my patience with you, my son. I knew you would be resilient, but as you probably know, we are in a hurry. I need you to fight as my soldier, and soon." Juhabach said, setting down the electrical rod he had been using.

"As I probably know? I don't know anything! I don't know where I am, why you need me, and definitely not why you would be in a hurry! Why would you need me to fight?" Ichigo asked, looking up at Juhabach with hazy eyes. It was difficult, since his vision had blurred so bad there were now three of him.

"You don't have any idea why we would need you? Why we would hurry to form a stronger army? Not even a guess?" Juhabach asked, looking rather pleased suddenly. Ichigo didn't answer, since he felt like he should know but really he didn't. His head was swimming too much to think clearly, and Juhabach liked it. "Perhaps you aren't so resilient after all. This is a good sign, if you cannot even remember that we are at war with your race."

"You..want me to fight them? That's why you're doing this? But..why hurry?" Ichigo asked, his eyes widening. It was such an obvious answer, yet he couldn't remember.

"You truly don't know...how amusing. You must not have faith in the shinigami, if you think they won't come for you." He said, and Ichigo snapped his head up.

"How do you know that? Are they coming now? Tell me!" He yelled, straining against the metal restraints.

"I do in fact know if they are coming or not. Actually, I know exactly where they are. But it is none of your concern, my son." Juhabach said, smiling as Ichigo thrashed more. "Stop calling me that! My Dad is Isshin Kurosaki, not you!" Ichigo yelled, his heart beating much faster than it should be.

"You are confused, Ichigo. So many questions, and nobody will tell you. But I can, and all you need to do is give up. Forget about your life, your friends, your family, your powers, and let me rebuild you. Then you will know everything." He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a syringe.

"You're sick...I'll never give any of that up! I won't let you win!" He yelled, crying out as the needle pierced his chest, injecting him with another strange liquid. This one took effect immediately, and his whole body went slack.

"I see. Then, we will continue. You will listen to reason, sooner than you think. But, just to remind you of what's at stake.." Juhabach said, pulling out some sort of radio, "Haschwald, send out the troops now. We know where the shinigami are, go there and leave no survivors. Bring them back here if you can, but do not worry if you can't." He said, and Ichigo felt an emotion he hadn't felt in quite a while. He felt helpless.

"And also..bring Halibel to me. I believe it is her time for reeducation as well." He finished, watching as Ichigo clenched his fist and made a choking sound.

"Now that that's done, I'll be kind enough to explain the drugs I just gave you. One of them heightens your senses, while the other drains you completely of energy. However, once both are in your system, they work together to weaken you, and force you to stay conscious." He explained, picking up a metal stick with a glowing Quincy cross at the end.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, his head pounding from not being able to pass out.

"Just something to keep in mind." Was Juhabach's reply, before slamming the branding iron into Ichigo's bare abdomen, laughing darkly as he screamed. From downstairs, Halibel listened to it all, and jumped when the door suddenly opened and her cell door was unlocked. She was chained, a routine she had gotten used to, and carried upstairs. While it was strange, she didn't think much of it, until she was taken through a different door and Ichigo's screaming got louder.

"W-where are you taking me?" She asked, wincing as they tugged her forward.

"Lord Juhabach has decided it's time for you to be reeducated." The Quincy soldier answered, seeming disinterested. He led her to the room, and roughly threw her inside before stepping out. She looked up, taking in the sight of Ichigo's numerous bruises and deep cuts, and was instantly filled with dread.

"Ah, Halibel, you made it. I'm sure you know about this room, yes? After all, one of your fellow espada made it this far." Juhabach said, looking into her haunted green eyes. She crawled back into the corner, looking more afraid than Ichigo had ever seen her, and tried standing up. In an instant, she was thrown into the opposite wall and restrained just as Ichigo had been, shaking like a leaf.

"Halibel.." Ichigo rasped, wincing as more blood dripped from his fresh wound. She glanced at him, her eyes wide, and screamed suddenly as the electric rod pressed firmly against her stomach, shocking and burning her.

"Stop it!" He yelled, struggling once again to get out of the chains. Juhabach looked at him, before grinning and pressing harder, cutting into her skin.

"Tell me, Halibel, does it hurt? Is it more painful than listening to it happen to others? Everything you experienced in those chambers, is nothing compared to what I will do to you in here. I don't know why you out lived those other espada, but rest assured, you will regret it."

And with that, he dragged the rod down her scarred stomach, slowly dipping into her skirt until he found her hollow hole. The scream was one that Ichigo never wanted to hear again.

* * *

**A/N: Kind of a sick way to end the chapter...but...yeah. It happened. So much for using lyrics XD sometimes these things just make they're own plans. How'd you like my version of pantera? I kinda just pictured Monkey (Zabimaru) and made some changes...and gave her a smaller ass, since we all know Monkey has a huge one xp And here's a good question...how the hell do you pronounce Juhabach's name?! I've been guessing forever but I've got no idea! Speaking of him, I think I should apologize for any OOC-ness. I have no clue how most of these new characters act, and have no idea how to grasp their character. So, please forgive that.**

**Next chapter: Grimmjow discovers more about his powers, while Rukia and the others encounter some trouble. Ichigo learns about Halibel's experiences with being captured, and begins to lose himself. Time is running out quickly for our berry! Looks like some surprise visitors will have to come help!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay, I'm not even going to plan this chapter, since every time I do it doesn't work out. I'm just going to type and see what happens. And I won't stop until I'm satisfied! Also, as a heads-up, the beginning of this chapter is kind of a time skip. Kind of. It just skips ahead like...a day or two...since I'm too impatient to write out the whole Grimmjow training thing. I wanna get to the good part already! And, since we don't know how the manga ends...or how Juhabach dies...I have no idea how this story will end. In hindsight, I should have waited until Kubo finished the manga to write this...but the temptation was too much. So, if things start to not make sense, that's why. Blame Kubo XD**

**On with the show!**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn't own Bleach...nothings changed since then.**

* * *

The reeducation door shut and locked from the outside, signaling Juhabach's departure. Ichigo panted heavily, feeling sweaty and exhausted. Since being brought into the room nearly two days ago, the orangenette still hadn't gotten any sleep, only a small amount of water, and still no food. His body was covered in blood and wounds, his clothes shredded, and his mind was nearly gone. He had no idea how long it had been, since Juhabach wouldn't tell him, and he still had no idea where his friends were or if they were alive. The daily torture had gotten more agonizing ever since Halibel was brought in, since he now had to watch someone _else_ be tortured, which just didn't sit right with Ichigo. Not once were they allowed to be freed from the restraints, and the periods of rest were far too short. But Ichigo hadn't lost his mind completely yet.

But, one thing that did keep both him and Halibel from completely losing it, was their time away from the Quincy King. Since they were drugged and couldn't sleep, they would talk about random things. Whether it be curious questions about life in Hueco Mundo before Aizen, or all of the cruel things that had happened to the woman, Ichigo would ask about it and she would answer and ask her own questions too. Tonight was no different, and they were having a more serious conversation.

"So, you're saying Aizen would do _that_ to you? And the other espada as well?" Ichigo asked, his stomach churning. Grimmjow had briefly told him about it once before they were together, but he never wanted to bring it up again.

"Yes, it was not uncommon to be sexually harassed or even worse, raped. He would sometimes have Szayelaporro give us different kinds of drugs, and then lock us in rooms together to see what happens. Some were full of hormones, forcing us to mate, and some would make us terribly sick. He said it made us better soldiers...more heartless. I think he was just a sick man." Halibel explained, the visions flashing in her memory. Ichigo didn't want to know just what kind of visions, but he had a good idea.

"He was sick...but now there's this guy. I can't tell who's worse." The orangenette said, a dull throb pounding in his head.

"Juhabach is _far_ more evil than Aizen _ever_ was." Halibel immediately responded, looking at Ichigo with empty eyes. He winced at the harshness in her voice, but understood it. After all, Halibel would know from years of experience how sick Juhabach could be.

"What makes you say that? I mean, at least he hasn't raped anyone...or...has he?" Ichigo asked, and widened his eyes when she paused for a moment and looked away.

"Juhabach has never done anything like that to us...he is at least above _that_...but what his soldiers do to us when he's not around...he doesn't bother to stop them, and I _know_ he knows what they do." She finally said, shivering a little in her restraints. Ichigo paused for a moment, letting the words sink in.

"But..since I've been here..have they..?"

"No. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with you. He would never let them touch you like that, Ichigo. You're special to him."

"But then..why haven't they done it to you? Not that it's a bad thing, it's better that way, but it makes me curious."

"I don't know. The only person who comes in here is Juhabach, and even if they tried, I don't think they would be able to do anything with all of these restraints in the way. But I don't trust Juhabach...I see the way he looks at me. It's like he's eating me alive in one glance. But he never actually _does_ anything, besides the torture. I suppose I should be grateful for that." She said, and Ichigo nodded, letting silence fall over them. After a few minutes, he remembered something Juhabach had said a few days ago, and wondered if he should ask about it. Finally, he decided to risk it.

"Halibel...who were the other espada? The ones who didn't die?" He asked hesitantly, watching as Halibel looked at him with surprised eyes, and then looked down in sorrow.

"When Grimmjow attacked us that day, he managed to kill three of the weaker espada. Some of the stronger espada got out with wounds that would heal easily, and others had more serious wounds that were life threatening. One stronger espada succumbed to his wounds. In the end, those who came out alive, were the primera, myself, the quatro, the quinto, and the octava. Most of them had serious wounds, and couldn't put up much of a fight when they were captured. I wasn't there at the time...my fraccion had survived and rescued me." She explained, not taking her eyes off of the floor.

"The quatro...you mean..."

"Yes, he survived. Together, it ended up being Starrk, Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, and Szayelaporro. Out of those four, I think Ulquiorra took the most damage...but it may have been Nnoitra. They both had instant regeneration...but they never got the chance to heal properly. For every wound they healed...they received twice as many. By the time I had gotten here, they were mutilated."

"Juhabach mentioned...someone making it this far. Halibel, who made it to this room? What happened?" Ichigo asked, and Halibel made a pained expression. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to. I think I know who it was." He added, not wanting to force the woman to do anything.

"Who do you think it was?" She asked, briefly looking at him.

"Well, I'm guessing the primera was the strongest, so he must have been the one." Ichigo said, eyes widening as Halibel shook her head.

"Starrk was very strong, I agree, but he never was much of a fighter. He was far too lazy. Being tortured took so much out of him, and after watching Lillynette, his other half, be killed in those chambers...he simply gave up."

"So then...did he die first?"

"No, he lasted quite a while, I was actually surprised. The first one to die, was Szayelaporro, being the weakest one. He lasted a few months, and actually had a tolerance to some of the drugs. That man was a strange one..always experimenting on himself. I don't even want to know what he put in his body." Halibel said, and Ichigo immediately thought of Kurotsuchi.

"Okay, so that leaves two. I've fought both of them...but Ulquiorra was definitely stronger. Was it him?" Ichigo asked, and Halibel nodded.

"Yes. Nnoitra could have made it, but he never could keep his mouth shut. He was punished severely for his insolence. But Ulquiorra...what they did to him was just...just..." She trailed off, screwing her eyes shut.

"It's okay, you don't have to talk about it. I understand it must be hard to talk about your comrades death."

"It's not that. None of the espada were close with each other. In fact, we all despised each other. But that doesn't mean I _enjoy_ watching them die so brutally. Especially Ulquiorra...I never imagined anyone could break him so badly...he was so strong..so emotionless. I'll never forget it. When they dragged him up those stairs for the last time...I saw the look in his eyes. He knew what was about to happen. He was _afraid_. And he screamed until it was all over. After that, I was alone. Even when everyone else lost the will to live, I managed not to." Halibel said, and Ichigo felt numb. He just couldn't imagine someone like Ulquiorra dying like that.

"But...why? How can you still want to live, even after being here for years?"

"My girls. My Fraccion are still out there fighting and looking for me. I can't leave them." Halibel said, and Ichigo's head snapped up. He opened his mouth, but then immediately shut it.

_Her Fraccion are those three arrancar who fought Quilge and died. They died looking for her! But I can't tell her that..it'll kill her...I can't let her die. I know it's weird, since I've only known her for a short time and she used to be my enemy, but I feel like I should protect her._ An image of Grimmjow flashed in his head. _I can't let her die..._

"Ichigo, what happened to Grimmjow? Is he coming?" Halibel asked, breaking Ichigo away from his thoughts.

"I...I don't know. Before I was captured, we got into an argument, and I left him." Ichigo said, lowering his eyes once again.

"You were together, am I right?" Ichigo nodded, "He will come for you, Ichigo. That's how Grimmjow is, and you know it."

"I know..but...he would have been here by now."

"Don't give up on him, Ichigo. He may be the only hope that keeps you alive."

_But..he would have already came...unless something happened to him. No..don't think like that. Even if he didn't come...someone would. I'm sure Rukia is worried, and Orihime, and maybe even Renji and Chad, or Uryuu and Urahara. Yeah...someone will come. They have to._

Just then, the door opened, and Juhabach walked back in. Both Ichigo and Halibel stiffened, looking at him with mixed emotions. He seemed happy about something, which couldn't possibly be good, and Ichigo noticed his hand tuck the radio back into his pocket.

"Well, good news. My men found a group of shinigami and have began fighting. I even sent out one of my stern ritter, whom I managed to heal after he was critically burned by that old head captain of yours. I must admit, I was ashamed that one of my strongest men was defeated so easily, but in the end I got what I wanted." Juhabach said, pulling out a medallion that had small flames coming out of it. Ichigo recognized the small amount of reiatsu left, to be Yamamoto's.

"You...you took his bankai..." Ichigo realized breathlessly.

"Oh, I took much more than his bankai," Juhabach said, leaning in closer to whisper in his ear, "I took his life."

Ichigo screamed in anger and sorrow as the lights went out, leaving them in a pitch black room.

* * *

"Shit." Renji breathed, jumping up and unsheathing Zabimaru. Grimmjow had been stuck in a trance for nearly two days, and they had decided to set up camp right there. Byakuya had put up a barrier, to keep hollows away and conceal everyone's reiatsu, and all had been well. Until now, that is. Several Quincy foot-soldiers emerged over a large sand dune, being led by a stern ritter who was too far away to recognize. With Grimmjow still in his inner world, they would have to protect him _and_ themselves.

"Hanataro, stay here and make sure nothing happens! If they get too close, yell!" Renji yelled, flash stepping away from the camp site with Byakuya and Rukia. The stern ritter signaled them to charge, and then disappeared himself.

"Renji, your sword is good for taking out large numbers. Keep the foot-soldiers distracted and take them down. Rukia, you help him. I will handle the other one." Byakuya said, going into Captain mode.

"But Byakuya, you don't have a bankai! Let me fight him, I still have mine!" Renji protested, his heart beating faster at the thought of nearly losing his lover again.

"No, Renji. You must not let them steal your bankai as well. I will handle whoever this stern ritter is, just focus on taking out the weaker ones so they don't distract us." Byakuya said, remaining calm. Renji opened his mouth to protest again, but was cut off by a firm glare.

"Be careful." Was all Renji said, biting his tongue to keep quiet.

"You too." Byakuya said, giving Renji one last glance before following the stern ritters reiatsu.

"He'll be okay, Renji." Rukia said reassuringly, even though she was worried too.

"I know. I just don't want a repeat of last time." Renji replied, landing in the middle of Quincy soldiers.

"Me either, Renji. Me either." Rukia replied, and proceeded to clash swords. Byakuya landed not too far away from the others, looking around slowly for the stern ritter. The reiatsu was close, almost as if it was directly behind him...

"We meet again, Byakuya Kuchiki." A chilling voice said, making Byakuya's body freeze and go tense. His heart immediately started pounding, and he momentarily forgot how to breathe. "I see the effects from my reishi thorns haven't worn off." He continued, grinning from behind his mask. Byakuya forced himself to face the man, willing away the emotion he hated to feel. When he actually looked at the dark haired man, the feeling intensified. With slightly shaky hands, Byakuya took out Senbonzakura, and braced himself. Äs Nödt merely grinned more, his thorns surrounding his body, and said one thing.

"All will succumb eventually."

* * *

Grimmjow panted, wincing as blood spilled from his abdomen and dodging another strike from Pantera. By this point, he had no idea how long it had been, but he was exhausted. His sword was a good fighter, which he expected, but he was having a hard time keeping up.

"Dammit, we need to hurry! They've come! Why can't you just figure it out already?!" Pantera yelled, coming at Grimmjow with full force. Their identical swords clashed, and despite looking the same, Pantera's sword had much more power.

"Your not doing a good job of teaching! What am I supposed to figure out?! And who are you talking about?!" Grimmjow yelled back, looking into Pantera's deep blue eyes.

"The key to your power isn't obtainable by fighting me, idiot! The key is inside you! You just need to find it!"

"Oh, that makes a lot of sense. How the hell am I supposed to find it!?" Grimmjow replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Use your brain, dumb ass! Just think about it— think about everything that's happened since you met Ichigo. Think about how you went from Aizen's weapon, to Ichigo's lover, to _helping_ the shinigami take down the espada, to letting _them_ help _you_ find him! Why did you let all of that happen? How have you _changed_?" Pantera asked, her voice agitated.

"Well...Ichigo changed me. He showed me what it's like to not fight all the time, and that I'm more than Aizen's tool. He showed me love, and gave me a reason to fight. He gave me something to protect." Grimmjow said, cupping his chin in concentration.

"Okay, good, now why did you _let_ that happen? He was your enemy, and you wanted to fight and kill him so badly. Why didn't you when he came back to Hueco Mundo? Why didn't you let the espada kill everyone? And why are you staying with the shinigami right now instead of leaving them behind?"

"Well...I guess because I _wanted_ to change. I didn't want to be who I use to be in Aizen's army. And Ichigo just...believed in me. He saw the good in me, and helped me see it too. When he came back to Hueco Mundo looking for me...I just knew I didn't want to kill him anymore." Grimmjow said, his eyes widening as his sword gave off a faint blue glow.

"Yes, yes! So, would you say that you've become good? Would you say that Ichigo is something you must protect, as well as the shinigami? They all know you're good, even _if_ some still seem wary, but the only one who doesn't see it is you."

"Well...yeah, I'd say all of that is true. I mean, I've never liked the shinigami...but..they all trusted Ichigo enough to not kill me or treat me like the enemy. And eventually, they all trusted me too. I've just been holding back...because Aizen forced us to hate them. But I guess...I've put the past behind me. I need to protect Ichigo, and the others. If something happened to them...he'd never forgive me. And...I don't think I could forgive myself either. Not after this whole experience."

"Yes! Christ, was that so hard?! Now you are deserving of my power!" Pantera cheered, stepping closer to Grimmjow.

"Wait..that's it? All I had to do was admit I'm on their side now? Why didn't you just say that?!" Grimmjow yelled, baring his teeth at his sword.

"I've been saying it this whole time, you just wouldn't accept the truth! You're a shinigami, idiot!"

"I'm a...what? But, my hollow hole, and the mask fragment!"

"I'm not talking about appearances, Grimmjow. You're still an arrancar, but your soul is shinigami. Don't you remember what that Renji guy said? Espadas are half arrancar and half shinigami. Over time, that balance has been changed. You'll always have arrancar in you, but now you have more shinigami." Pantera explained, rolling her eyes at Grimmjow's confused face.

"So...it's like Ichigo being part shinigami, part hollow, and part human?" He asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"Yes, like that. Now, you need to hurry. We're running out of time."

"Right. Let's finish this up." Grimmjow nodded, and lurched as Pantera suddenly impaled him with her sword, making the world around them shake and explode with a bright blue power. They were both engulfed in it, and Grimmjow felt calmed by the familiar presence.

"You have a piece of Ichigo's soul inside of you. It's helped you changed a lot, and also gave you some of his power. It's about time you use it. Once you get back into Hueco Mundo, do not hesitate. Ichigo is close to the end." Pantera said, her voice getting farther away.

"How do you know all of this?" Grimmjow asked, feeling himself fade out of his inner world.

"Zangetsu." Was all she said, before Grimmjow returned to reality, feeling stronger and more powerful than ever.

* * *

Hanataro shook, staying huddled inside Grimmjow's tent and listening to the sounds of battle outside. He could only hope none of the Quincy approached him, since his sword really couldn't do much and Grimmjow was still out. His luck, however, never was on his side, and the reiatsu barrier around him shattered. The Quincy used his high reiatsu to blast away the tents, leaving Hanataro out in the open. He wanted to yell, to cry out for help, but he was too scared.

"Hiding, are we? And who is this, an arrancar? No...even better...an espada! The King will be very pleased." Haschwald grinned, making Hanataro gulp. The reiatsu around them suddenly spiked, making the air crack and sizzle, and then exploded in a blinding blue light.

"Grind," Grimmjow's deep voice purred as he opened his eyes, smirking at Haschwald, "Pantera."

* * *

The darkness was much more terrifying than one would think. Especially when you're in a room with a sick minded dictator, who took joy in your pain and fear. You couldn't see what he was doing, where he was, or what was happening to you. It was just quiet, until someone screamed in pain, making the other person jump. Being blind heightened your other senses, like hearing and touch and smell. Ichigo was now aware of how badly it smelled in the room, like rotting corpses, probably from his many open wounds. There were many things Ichigo could handle, taking into account the type of life he's had, but this was not one of those things. Of all the pain, all the fights, all the times he's almost died, torture was never involved. He was strong, this was absolute, but that didn't mean he was invincible. And Juhabach was pushing him to his limits, very quickly.

Ichigo was losing it.

And now, standing limply in his restraints, he could only wait. Wait for Juhabach to inflict some sort of wound on him, not being able to see it. He jumped every time Halibel screamed, the sudden loud sound making his heart accelerate and his body jerk. He screamed as something hot poured down his torso, singing his flesh and leaving raw skin in its wake. Some of it was splashed on his face, and he could hear his skin sizzle and smoke. With his mouth opened, Juhabach took advantage of his cries and even poured the searing hot liquid down his throat, making his voice raspy and hoarse. It was hot enough to bring tears to his eyes, and he was glad it was dark, only because Juhabach couldn't get the satisfaction of seeing him cry. It was quiet again, and Ichigo slumped, only to jerk back up and grit his teeth as the same administrations were given to Halibel. He couldn't stand to hear her scream. Juhabach knew that, and of course used it to his advantage.

Ichigo cried out again as a whip cracked, splitting open the skin on his stomach. A moment of silence followed, and then it randomly cracked again, making Ichigo flinch as Halibel screamed. Juhabach did this for some time, making his timing irregular so neither would suspect it. Ichigo didn't care if he was crying at this point, since he couldn't feel the tears streaming out anymore. All he felt was blinding pain. The whip snapped over an already opened wound, splitting it wider and aggravating it. Ichigo felt light headed, having lost so much blood. Halibel was whipped a few more times, before the molten liquid was once again dumped over Ichigo, running into every wound and practically setting them on fire. Despite the burning in his throat, he screamed until he lost feeling in it completely.

The lights flicked on suddenly, making Ichigo blink rapidly. Once his vision returned, he nearly threw up. Across from him, Halibel stood naked, her skin smoking and being drenched in blood. If it weren't for the restraints forcing her to stay upright, she would collapse. Whatever remains she had left of her resurreccion form were gone now, being replaced with bloody wounds. She looked at Ichigo with such raw terror it made him gasp. But she wasn't looking at him like that because of what just happened to _her_.

She was looking at him like that because of _his_ body.

Looking down, Ichigo actually did throw up. His body was completely destroyed, not one inch was clean from blood. One of the more deeper wounds— one from where the whip split open an already deep gash— exposed some sort of squishy red mound, which twitched oddly with every labored breath.

_An organ,_ Ichigo managed to realize. Which organ, however, he wasn't sure. One that had to be in his stomach. Hell, it may actually _be_ his stomach, or his intestines. He realized that he too was naked, but didn't have the modesty to care at this point. The floor underneath him was an alarmingly large pool of blood, and Ichigo wasn't questioning how he was still awake.

He was questioning how he was still _alive._

Like Halibel, his entire body was basically one big burn. It looked like Juhabach poured acid over them, or something of the sort. The drugs were starting to wear off, and Ichigo felt his eyelids grow heavier. Juhabach grabbed another syringe, this one being full of a slightly glowing blue liquid. The King simply smiled, admiring his handiwork. Before Ichigo finally slipped into unconsciousness, he heard Juhabach explain what was inside of the syringe.

"You have done well, my son. It is now time to infuse your body with Quincy reiatsu. By doing this, your other powers will be taken over and replaced. As you are now, your soul is a perfect balance of shinigami, hollow, and human. The small amount of Quincy in you is being suppressed. That is all about to change. Now sleep, Ichigo, if only for a moment." The dark haired man said, and while Ichigo didn't understand what that meant, he still slipped into unconsciousness.

He would soon figure out what Juhabach meant by "only for a moment."

* * *

**A/N: Alright, I feel like that's a good stopping point, don't you think? A few good cliff hangers. Man, I feel awful for putting Ichigo through this! But it's not over yet. I wanted to make this longer, really I did, but first I need to plan out what's going to happen next. Grimmjow clearly has new powers, and I kind of know what they will be like, but I'm not a hundred percent yet. Thinking about giving him a bankai...ugh, so many decisions. Anyhoo, here's what might...should...maybe happen next chapter.**

**Grimmjow makes good use of his impressively strong powers and quickly overpowers the Quincies. Ichigo spirals down, his hollow and shinigami powers slipping away, and Grimmjow continues onwards to find him. Throw in a few surprise people, Shirosaki going on a (sort of) rampage, and perhaps even a reunion for the two lovers? Sounds like the climax of the story! This is not set in stone!**

**Please review and tell me what you think, and I'll update faster!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello all, I bring to you another chapter, full of drama, romance maybe, and fluff(?) Probably not, but we'll see. As much as I want to give poor Ichi a break...*sigh*...it's just not time yet. He's got to endure a bit longer. Halibel however will get something nice in this chapter, if that helps. I'll be honest, torture isn't my forte. If you want someone who's just amazing with stuff like that, read Riza Winters stories. Seriously, they're amazing. I'm hooked on Recovery, and ReEducation always has me on the edge of my seat. So, if you see one of Riza's stories, read them! Now, let's get on with this maybe depressing chapter...maybe...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or characters.**

* * *

"Get him to the fourth division, now!" Urahara shouted, but Grimmjow was already on top of it, being far ahead of the others. The Seireitei was still recovering, but it did look slightly better than last time.

"I thought we were going to Karakura." Ikkaku said, looking completely unaware of his own wounds.

"I had Yoruichi open a garganta leading to Soul Society, since we've got two seriously injured people here, and Orihime can't do it herself. Captain Unohana is the only other person who can help." Kisuke explained, coming to a stop outside of the fourth division's doors. Grimmjow kicked the door in, making a few bustling division members jump, and proceeded to storm inside.

"Where is she? Where's Unohana?" The blue haired man asked, looking around frantically.

"The Captain isn't here right now, she's on a special mission." A female voice said, making Grimmjow turn around. When Isane saw who was in his arms, she jumped into action, yelling out commands to those who were near. Ichigo was put onto a stretcher and carried into the operating room, followed by numerous squad members. Whenever Grimmjow or anyone else tried to go in, they were kicked back out.

"Orihime, you may come inside, and bring that woman with you. We will need you after surgery, but while you wait, it would be best to heal her and then rest. This will take some time." Isane said, before disappearing behind the door. Orihime actually managed to carry Halibel in the room, since the tan woman was far too light from being starved.

And then the others were left to wait.

Grimmjow didn't stop pacing the whole time. He knew he should rest, having received his own injuries, but it was impossible. Every now and again, he could hear Isane start yelling commands urgently, but Grimmjow couldn't hear what they were. A squad member would rush out into a different room to get supplies, and then run back, giving everyone a good view of the amount of blood on his clothes. Grimmjow felt like he might puke, but he kept it down. The others stayed awake with him all night, not moving from their seats in the waiting room. It was well into the morning by the time Isane came back out, her clothes drenched in sweat and blood and her eyes bloodshot and tired.

"How is he? Is he okay?" Grimmjow asked, looking at Isane hopefully. She smiled weakly, but still looked grim.

"We managed to stitch his more serious wounds back together, and had them bandaged. Orihime took care of the more smaller ones, and completely healed Halibel. She should be waking up soon...but I'm afraid Ichigo is in somewhat of a coma. His body is exhausted, and until he wakes up I cannot determine his metal health. You may go see him if you wish." The healer said, standing back so the group could follow Grimmjow, who had bolted into the room. Ichigo was still on the operating table, with IVs attached to his arms and an oxygen mask over his face. His eyes were closed, with dark bags underneath them, and a blanket was all that covered him besides the bandages. Grimmjow grasped his unconscious lovers hand tightly, wanting nothing more than to see those chocolate brown eyes open.

"How do you feel, Orihime? That must've been a lot of work." Renji asked the girl, who was in a chair next to Halibel's bed looking exhausted.

"I'm much better now that they're both okay. It was pretty tiring, though." She said, giving her best smile.

"You did great. Why don't you rest up a bit? I'm sure when Ichigo wakes up, he'll want to see you looking happy and well rested, not exhausted." Renji suggested, making Orihime smile. Grimmjow felt a smile tug on his own lips, knowing that the others were so confident in Ichigo. There was no doubt he would wake up.

"That sounds nice, I think I'll do that." She said, exiting the room to find Isane, probably to ask if there was a room she could use. The room fell into a comfortable silence, until a female voice groaned, making everyone turn their attention towards Halibel. Grimmjow released Ichigo's hand and walked over to her, looking at her cautiously. They never really did get along, so he wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him again. One green eye opened, looking hazy at first and then focusing in on Grimmjow, and then the other eye followed. Whatever emotion she was feeling was well hidden, as always.

"Grimmjow?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah?" He asked uncertainly, surprised she didn't try to kill him or something.

"Where am I?" She asked, looking around the room almost frantically. Grimmjow recognized that look. Ichigo had been doing it when he was in _that room_. She was looking for Juhabach.

"Your in the medical barracks in the Soul Society." He replied, noticing how she relaxed some.

"You actually came...you saved us, didn't you? You killed him?"

"Well...no...he's still alive. He kinda just...let us go." Grimmjow replied, and there was a tense moment of silence, before Halibel's hand shot up and grabbed Grimmjow by the throat.

"You let him _live_? You fool! Don't you realize what you've done? He will come back for us again and destroy us all! You let that monster win and now we're all doomed! Do you realize what this will do to Ichigo? If he knows that Juhabach still lives, he'll never be alright! You might as well have sentenced him to death!"

"Halibel, I had to get you both out of there! He was going to kill you! I didn't have time to fight him!"

"He will kill us anyways. Grimmjow, you _know_ he will come back. What will happen then? Will you _all_ fight him? He has most of your bankais, he has killed thousands of your kind, including your head Captain. What will you do? This man is not Aizen. He puts that bastard to shame. You cannot win!" Halibel said, dropping her hand in defeat.

"We will fight him, and he'll lose. That's all there is to it." Grimmjow said, earning a glare from Halibel.

"You fool. You haven't changed at all, Grimmjow." She said, without any real insult behind her words.

"Neither have you, Halibel. But I have to ask, will you help us? When he comes back, will you fight? Or will you let him drag you back to that room?"

"I have no weapon, Grimmjow. My zanpakuto was destroyed. What can I do?"

"Che..I was wrong. You have changed. You're weak, Halibel. What about your Fraccion? You won't fight for them? What, just because you don't have a sword, you're powerless? I can't believe you used to be the tercera." Grimmjow said, not surprised when a cold hand slapped him across the face.

"Watch your mouth, sexta. Do not bring my girls into this. I will fight for them until the I die." She growled, leaning on her elbows for support.

"Then we have an agreement. You'll start training as soon as you feel better."

"Tomorrow."

"Fine."

There was another tense pause, nobody knowing what to say as the two former espada glared at each other. Then, of course, Urahara broke it.

"Um...you mentioned your 'girls', right? Your fraccion?" The hatted man asked, hiding behind his fan when Halibel turned her angry gaze towards him.

"Why do you ask, shinigami?" She asked, and despite the title, Kisuke smiled.

"I believe they would like to see you."

"..."

"What?" Grimmjow had to ask, since Halibel seemed too stunned.

"Ah, it's a long story. You see, after you left to go find Ichigo, I quickly finished off those stern ritters— with the help of the others of course— and then opened a garganta. I had Hanataro and Nel's fraccion help me take Miss Halibel's fraccion back to Karakura, where I also told Yoruichi to be prepared to open another garganta later." Urahara explained, smiling all the while.

"So...wouldn't that have taken some time?" Renji asked, looking confused.

"Ah, you underestimate my speed, Abarai. Of course I hurried." Kisuke said, pretending to look hurt.

"That's why Hanataro isn't here...wait, so Nel and all the fraccion are in Karakura Town?"

"That's right. They're healing as we speak. Me, Orihime, and Chad even managed to find Nel's missing fraccion after Grimmjow and Ichigo left for the Soul Society."

"Speaking of Chad, where is he?" Renji asked, having just noticed the quiet mans lack of presence.

"Ah, yes, I left him with Nel and the others. He needed to rest as well." Urahara said, remembering how Chad fought off large groups of hollows and got injured in the process.

"Take me to Karakura Town. I need to see my fraccion." Halibel said, already getting out of bed.

"Woah woah woah! Put some clothes on first, lady! Take it one step at a time here!" Renji said, covering his eyes as the blanket nearly fell off of Halibel's body.

"I will notify Lieutenant Kotetsu that we need some yukatas." Byakuya said, taking his leave before things got weirder.

"So, I take it we're moving Ichigo too, then? Is he stable enough to leave here?" Grimmjow asked, clasping the orangenette's hand again.

"We have everything he'll need at the shop. Besides, I think being home will do him some good."

"Well...if you say so." Grimmjow said, and a moment later Byakuya entered the room with Isane and two plain white yukatas. They briefly discussed the option of taking Ichigo home, and the healer approved so long as he received the proper treatment. Grimmjow dressed Ichigo, not removing the blanket until the yukata was tied, while Halibel dressed herself. Rukia then went to wake Orihime, only to come back without her. Apparently Orihime was a heavy sleeper, and so Renji decided to carry her through the senkaimon while Grimmjow carried Ichigo. Before leaving, Urahara lingered a moment, wanting to ask Isane something.

"You said Captain Unohana was on a special mission. May I ask where?"

"Head Captain Kyoraku gave her an assignment...to teach Captain Zaraki the art of killing. They are in the underground central prison, on the bottom floor." She said, making both Ikkaku and Yumichika—who were walking by— come to an abrupt halt.

"Captain Unohana...and...Captain Zaraki? But..but why? And what do you mean Head Captain _Kyoraku_?!" Ikkaku asked, his face full of shock.

"I do not know all of the details, nor do I understand it myself. All I know is they are not to be disturbed."

"This is crazy...our Captain certainly doesn't need to be trained by Unohana! He's perfectly capable of killing _now_! He should be resting..." Yumichika said, his fists clenching.

"We're going back to our division. The lieutenant probably needs us." Ikkaku said, and dragged Yumichika away without another word. Urahara turned back towards Isane, and looked at her with a grave expression.

"You do know that one of them won't come back." He said. Isane nodded slowly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Take care of things, Isane. I must be leaving now."

"Right. Let me know when Ichigo wakes up. I'm sure Hanataro will know what to do...but just in case you need help, just call. Oh..and watch Halibel closely. She has suffered far more than Ichigo, she just won't show it yet." Isane said, watching as Urahara nodded and left.

He had a few people to go see in Karakura Town.

* * *

The arrival at Urahara's shop was heart warming, for multiple reasons. Chad, Nel, her fraccion, and Yoruichi were happy to see Ichigo alive and home again. Halibel's fraccion crushed their leader in a rare hug, telling her how they never stopped trying to find her. Uryu was there as well, not really knowing how to react to Ichigo's condition, or to Halibel being alive, or to the fact that Quincies did all of this. It was a rather odd predicament for him. After the reunions, the group sat down for tea, leaving Ichigo in a spare room to rest.

"So, what happens now? This Juhabach guy is obviously gonna attack again, and most of us aren't in any condition to fight. Hell, Ichigo's defenseless until he wakes up. What do we do?" Renji asked, keeping a firm arm around Byakuya, who was still recovering from his battle with Äs Nödt. Renji now understood how painful those reishi thorns could be, having been hit by one himself.

"He will not invade us again so soon. Most of his stern ritters are gone, along with a good amount of foot-soldiers. Not that he needs them to defeat us, but he obviously has a plan, one that requires an army. We have time to at least heal our wounds, if nothing else." Halibel said, sitting between Mila Rose and Apacci.

"Miss Halibel, do you know how he acquired such an army in the first place?" Urahara asked, sipping his tea.

"I do not. When he captured me, his army had already been formed. All I know, is his troops went around Hueco Mundo and captured hollows and arrancar. I also know he uses torture to reeducate those who do not obey him. But I only ever witnessed the other espada be tortured."

"The other espada you say? You mean they actually survived?" Urahara asked, looking surprised.

"Some did. They were killed later on though."

"I see...this is troubling, then. We have no idea where he got his army, or how he might obtain another one. You are certain he won't attack us soon?"

"I make no promises. But I've come to understand Juhabach over the years, and I have a strong feeling he will wait. He wants us to heal, to train, to think we can win. He wants Ichigo to wake up and be terrorized with fear, and then to get comforted by us. He wants us to start feeling safe again, and then he will attack and destroy us all." Halibel said, looking at Urahara with an unreadable expression.

"Well then, I suppose all we can do, is exactly what he wants us to. We don't really have a choice. We must heal and get stronger, and Ichigo has to wake up. That's all there is to it."

"When he does come, do you think he'll invade the Soul Society or Karakura Town?" Yoruichi asked in her cat form, sitting on the table in front of Urahara.

"Wherever Ichigo is, probably." Urahara said.

"Don't be too sure about that. He might go to the Soul Society first to get rid of any unwanted disturbances. But, he did that the first time, and may not do it again. Unfortunately, we don't know what kind of person this man is, therefore we cannot predict his next move." Byakuya said, finally speaking after thinking things over.

"He is right. Even I don't know what Juhabach will do next. He may come here and attempt to take Ichigo, or he may go to the Soul Society and kill everyone there. All we can do is be prepared for either situation." Halibel said.

"Well then, I suppose we should take this day to rest. Tomorrow, anyone who is ready will train, and after that everybody will have to. We can't waste any time. Grimmjow, I think you should take Ichigo home. Maybe if he wakes up in a familiar environment he'll feel better." Urahara said, standing up. Grimmjow nodded and went to retrieve Ichigo, while the others waited outside with Urahara. When Grimmjow emerged, he didn't question why everyone was going with him. He understood they wanted to know Ichigo was safe. With a nod, they all flash stepped to the Kurosaki clinic. Grimmjow decided to go through the window, since his sisters probably wouldn't want to see Ichigo being carried like this, while Urahara led the others to the front door and knocked. Yuzu opened the door, and since she couldn't see spirits, she only saw Urahara with a black cat on his shoulder, along with Chad, Uryu, and Orihime.

"Oh, hello everyone! Would you like to come in?" She asked, and despite her friendly attitude, it was clear she was worried. Ichigo may disappear a lot, but it doesn't mean his family didn't notice. At that moment, Karin walked by and noticed the unusually large amount of shinigami at the door, and yelled for Isshin. He popped his head out from behind the corner, prepared to say something stupid, but stopped when he saw Urahara.

"What happened?" Was all he said, putting a hand on Yuzu's shoulder.

"Perhaps we should sit down and talk for this one, ne?" The shopkeeper said, giving his normal smile. Isshin let them in, noticing how Yuzu squinted at the shinigami, only seeing some kind of blur. She wasn't completely unaware anymore, but she still couldn't see spirits that well. They all sat in the living room, some sitting on the floor since there wasn't much room, and listened to Urahara fill Isshin in on the situation.

"Is he okay?" He asked after hearing everything. His face was still a little pale after listening to Halibel explain what Juhabach had done.

"We don't know yet. Physically, he's alright, but mentally? We have no idea until he wakes up."

"Dammit...I can't believe this happened. I take it Grimmjow took him upstairs?"

"Yes, he's in his room."

"I'm going to check on him." Isshin said, standing and walking towards the stairs. The others followed, and while it was a bit of a squeeze, they all fit into his bedroom. Ichigo looked the same, with all the same equipment hooked up to him, only these were borrowed from Urahara. He looked peaceful, but everyone knew he wasn't alright. Grimmjow got up, having been sitting next to the boy, and moved aside so Isshin and the girls could see him. Yuzu had started crying, while Karin bit her lip to keep her emotions at bay. Isshin merely looked at his son seriously, reaching out with his reiatsu and wrapping it around Ichigo. He was surprised at how different it felt.

"He really did change you, didn't he? I guess it's about time you knew, though." Isshin sighed, retracting his reiatsu.

"Isshin, do you know anything about this man?" Urahara asked, watching as the elder Kurosaki turned away from his son and headed towards the door.

"I'd rather talk about it when Ichigo feels better, if that's alright." He said, and Urahara nodded in understanding. Isshin was about to leave, when an almost inaudible groan stopped him. Everyone slowly turned towards the bed, watching as Yuzu gasped and grabbed her brothers hand happily.

"He's awake! Ichigo, are you okay?" She cried, Karin grabbing his hand immediately after. Grimmjow rushed over, standing behind the girls and watching as his lovers eyes opened slowly. Grimmjow inhaled sharply and pulled the girls away when he got a good look at those eyes, which while they _were_ open, they weren't normal.

"Grimmjow? What's wrong?" Isshin asked, quickly walking next to the blue haired man. He too noticed how Ichigo wasn't all there.

"Shit, I knew this would happen! Ichigo, say something! Ichigo!" Grimmjow half yelled, grabbing the berry's shoulders. His eyes looked around slowly, but were dull and empty. They seemed to look right past Grimmjow, and then widened, seeing something nobody else could.

"What happened...how did I get loose?" He asked, his voice raspy and dull.

"Ichigo, snap out of it! You're home, remember I saved you and Halibel?" Grimmjow said, trying in vain to help Ichigo wake up.

"No..no it wasn't my fault, you can't do that! I don't know what happened!" Ichigo cried again, his voice becoming frantic. Isshin quickly took his daughters out of the room, and as an afterthought, Nel too. He didn't want children to see this.

"No, please, not that! What have you done to them?! Where's Halibel?!" Ichigo continued to yell, and Halibel also walked next to the bed, trying to calm him down.

"Ichigo, I'm right here. You need to wake up now, you're home." She said, but it did no good.

"No...no! Not again! Juhabach!" Ichigo yelled, and then started screaming in pain as he envisioned Juhabach torturing him again. Grimmjow tried to hold him down and control him, but he kept writhing in pain. His reiatsu started flaring uncontrollably, throwing Grimmjow, Isshin, and Halibel across the room. An orange barrier suddenly trapped him, and while it didn't contain his reiatsu, it did slowly calm him down until the spirit energy stopped and his eyes came back to life.

"What...happened...?" He panted, looking around slowly. The orange barrier returned to Orihime's hair pins, and Grimmjow slowly approached the teen.

"Ichigo..? Are you alright now?" He asked, keeping a small amount of extra distance between them just in case.

"Grimmjow? How did I get here?"

"You don't remember anything?" He asked, thinking back to when he rescued Ichigo.

_He was awake...wasn't he? Or maybe it was like just now..when he looks awake but really he isn't._

"No..I just remember being in that room..with Halibel and..him.."

"You're home now, Ichigo. Halibel's here too, see? Everyone's safe now." Grimmjow said, gesturing towards Halibel. Ichigo seemed relieved by this, and then looked around his room. He realized how crowded it was in the small area, and felt nervous.

"But..but how? Who got us out of there?" He asked, sitting up and gripping his sheets subconsciously. Nobody said anything, they merely looked at Grimmjow, but Ichigo got the message.

"Grimmjow? You..actually went through the trouble of finding me? But that means...you fought Juhabach?"

Grimmjow froze at how hopeful Ichigo sounded. He couldn't bring himself to answer, and settled for looking down. He could practically feel Ichigo's disappointment, and reluctantly glanced back up. Ichigo was looking down, his fists clenched and his jaw set, and for a moment Grimmjow thought he would react like Halibel did, but he was surprised when Ichigo bit his lip harshly. Grimmjow recognized that look all too well.

"Get out." Grimmjow said, making everyone look at him strangely. "Get out! Now!" He yelled again, and Isshin ushered them out, understanding the situation. As soon as the door shut, Ichigo cracked, letting his sadness and frustration burst out. Grimmjow quickly climbed next to him, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's shoulders and pulling him closer.

"Why didn't you kill him?!" He yelled between sobs, punching Grimmjow's chest angrily. Grimmjow took it, despite how badly it hurt.

"I had to choose between saving you and Halibel, or going back to fight him. You're more important."

"He's going to come back for me...he's going to take me back to that room!"

"He'll have to go through me. I won't let him take you again."

"No! He'll kill you too, or worse, take you into that room! Please, just don't get near him.."

"I'd rather he take me than you, Ichigo. I deserve to be in there, after everything I've done to you. Christ, I owe so much to you, Ichi. I swear on my life I'll make it up to you, and I'll never fuck up again. I don't expect you to give me another chance. I just need to make it up to you." Grimmjow said, holding Ichigo a little tighter.

"Don't say that! Nobody deserves to be in there...and definitely not you! Besides..I don't think we'll ever be okay again. You hurt me Grimmjow." Ichigo said, glancing up at Grimmjow when he didn't reply. Much to his surprise, Grimmjow had tears coming out of his eyes.

"I know. And you have no idea how much I hate myself for it. But I promise you, he won't put his hands on you ever again. You won't go back to that god awful room. You deserve better than me, Ichigo, and when this is all over...I'll be out of your hair."

"Grimmjow...I...just tell me why you acted like that. Tell me why you would never open up to me. I want to know everything you wouldn't tell me before." Ichigo said, making Grimmjow tense up.

_Great...I really didn't want to have this conversation right now. But if I don't tell him, he might never forgive me. Besides...he deserves to know. Ugh..fuck._

"Alright. I'll tell you everything. Where should I start?" He said, noticing how Ichigo's eyebrows shot up.

"Well..um..just start from the beginning I guess."

"Ichigo...I...I don't want to trigger any...reactions from you. I don't want to remind you of anything you just went through." Grimmjow said, looking away from the teen.

"I'll be alright. Just..please..I want to know." Ichigo said, tentatively grabbing Grimmjow's hand.

_Okay, first he says we'll never be okay, but now he's holding my hand? Fuck, Ichigo, you're killing me._

"Alright then. Well, I think I mentioned once how Aizen treated us, right?" He asked. Ichigo nodded, and listened to Grimmjow tell him everything, even things he had locked deep within his mind and never wanted to talk about again.

**_Meanwhile..._**

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Urahara asked, walking inside the dark room.

"Just what the hell are you doing here, Kisuke?" A voice asked, sounding angry and surprised. Kisuke turned, looking down at the person with his usual smile.

"Are the others here? I need to ask something from all of you." He said, and on cue five other figures emerged from the shadows.

"Yeah, what is it?" Another voice asked, sounding less angry than the first.

"I'm afraid we need your power again. We are all in great danger, and need everyone to help destroy this enemy."

"Why should we help you? The last time that happened, we nearly died. And then that old coot took three of us away! I'll never help that bastard again! I hate him!"

"Well then, you'll be thrilled to know he's dead." Urahara said, making every person look at him with wide eyes. "Do you understand now? We need help. Can we depend on you?"

"Head Captain Yamamoto...is dead? Who could have done this?"

"A Quincy by the name of Juhabach. If you agree to help us, I must let you know he has the power to steal bankais. Most of the Captains have lost theirs already. We also have another espada on our side besides Grimmjow, one that I believe two of you know. Her name is Tier Halibel." Urahara said, and sure enough two of them widened their eyes more.

"She's..alive? But..but.."

"There is a lot you need to be filled in on. We are all at the Kurosaki clinic right now, if you would like to come."

"We will."

"Very well, let's go." Urahara said, following the others as they left the warehouse. One stayed behind, making Urahara stop and look over his shoulder.

"Coming, Hiyori?" He asked.

"Che..whatever." She replied, punching him on the way out.

"Haven't changed a bit, have you."

* * *

**A/N: Good God, this took forever. Not completely happy with this, but I'm glad it's done. Hopefully I'll have it posted by tomorrow (1.22.13) but we'll see. I was going to make it longer, but Lord knows I wouldn't be able to finish it today. It's already 9 -.- Now I don't have time to draw!**

**Ugh, anyways, next chapter: Grimmjow further explains his past, and why he acted the way he did, while the others begin training. Sounds like a good chapter, right? No sad stuff? No Ichigo suffering? Think again! You'll just have to read to find out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I shouldn't be writing this right now-.- I'm gonna be super tired in the morning, but it's worth it. Well...that's questionable. Anyways, I've got writers block right now, and like an idiot I made another story to try to fix that. Yeah, it didn't work, and now I've got two stories on my hands. *Flips table* ahhhh! So if this chapter sucks worse than the others, there's your reason why. Also, for future reference, I tried to be brutal in this chappy, but it's just not in me. Especially when it involves Grimmkitty. So if that part sucks too, there's another reason. Now, before I start babbling, let's get started.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but I'm working on owning Grimmjow. *Grabs net* Here kitty kitty...**

* * *

"I only told you one thing Aizen did to us. He used us for sick entertainment, and it's something I'll never forget. But since I've already told you about that, I won't go into it again, I really don't want to. Anyways, Aizen always told us what kind of an army he wanted. He wanted heartless, emotionless, killing machines. He wanted beings that were so full of rage, despair, destruction, even terror, that they wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who he considered an enemy. Being the sick bastard he was, he figured the only way to make us into these monsters, was by means of torture and abuse. Rape and sexual harassment were just small parts of it all. He would take us to these cells, at random times so we wouldn't predict it, and chain us up. Sometimes we would be in small groups, sometimes it would be all ten of us, and sometimes he would single us out. To be singled out, you would had to of pissed him off.

I was singled out a lot.

He would do anything to break us. Whips, hot iron, blades, his bare hands, electric rods, electric chairs, drowning, burning, the list goes on. He had these devices, I don't even know what you would call them, but they were meant to go in your hollow hole. He would have to squeeze them into it, since they were a little big. That alone hurt, but when he pressed a button...they would...open up, and these little blades would come out. That _really_ hurt. He could control how long or short they could be, and if you really pissed him off, like I did, he would make them move and rotate all the way around the inside of the hole. When he first did it to me, I thought I was gonna die. The second time, I wished I would. Every time after that, I felt like I did.

He always stripped us before the torture, whether we were alone or in groups. He wanted us to be humiliated. He would break our bodies to the point where they didn't even look like bodies, and then heal us partially. If we got too exhausted, he would give us a stool to sit on. Nobody ever sat on them. The seat was pointed like a pyramid, so if you sat on it...you get the point. They were there to keep us up, to keep us alert. If you started slacking, the stools would keep you standing. He would give us drugs, to make us hallucinate, or to heighten our senses. Some of them even kept us from passing out. Others forced us into premature mating seasons.. he took advantage of our needs, or he would let them go untended to. For a hollow, being in mating season and not letting us take care of it is enough to make us go insane, literally. He did so much more to us, and to me, being one of his favorites, but I can't remember it anymore. He broke me so bad that my brain forced itself to forget it."

Ichigo took a steadying breath, trying to calm himself down. Most of those things had also happened to him, and the memories were still fresh in his mind, threatening to tear him apart. He had no idea how Grimmjow could talk about this and be so calm. But at a second glance, Ichigo realized Grimmjow _wasn't_ calm. He was pale, his whole body was shaking, and he looked to be on the verge of insanity. His eyes looked like those of a madman, having seen things nobody should ever see. Ichigo had a flashback of Halibel in her restraints, naked and beyond recognition, and then Halibel was replaced with Grimmjow and he felt his stomach lurch. He picked up the wastebasket next to his bed and vomited, trying to banish that image.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you." Grimmjow said, his voice uneven and hoarse.

"No, it's fine, I just...I never knew.."

"It's not something I like to think about, much less talk about. I should have told you though. I tried..but whenever I thought about it, the visions came back and I just couldn't go through it again. It's too painful to relive. That's not even the whole story, either. You get the point though." Grimmjow said, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.

"No, I understand why you wouldn't want to tell me..I understand now. I wouldn't want to either...I don't want to, actually."

"Just tell me...did he touch you? Did anybody there...?" Grimmjow trailed off, not wanting to say the word.

"No. Nobody did that to me. But Halibel..."

"She's strong, and she's use to it. That doesn't make it okay, but I'm glad that at least you didn't have to go through that. It's the worst thing...to ever go through."

"Grimmjow...you moved on though, right? I mean..you eventually were okay again?" Ichigo asked, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. Grimmjow's frown sharpened.

"You remember that one time, we were having sex, and you touched my hollow hole on accident?" Grimmjow asked, even though he knew that he was about to ruin any hope Ichigo had of getting better.

"Yeah...I remember.." Ichigo said, his hope vanishing. He did indeed remember that night. His hand barely touched it, and Grimmjow jolted like he had just been burned. He then went into a small state of panic, like a mini panic attack.

"You remember all the times I woke up in the middle of the night and wouldn't tell you why I was freaking out?" Grimmjow asked again, his voice low and deep.

"Yeah..." Ichigo said again, recalling how Grimmjow would wake up gasping for air and clutching his chest, looking over his body and sighing when he didn't see any wounds. He would usually go for a walk after that, or sit on the roof. Sometimes he seemed angry, sometimes sad, and sometimes he seemed...just not there at all.

_I get it now...it's like when I was awake earlier but I thought I was still in that room. Grimmjow would wake up and see himself in Las Noches. God...all this time, he's been suffering like I am now, and I did nothing to comfort him. I tried to make him tell me everything all at once, and then yelled at him when he didn't. But now that I'm in that position, he's here, telling me all of this when he can't even handle it. He's not making me tell him anything, either. He's fucking holding me..when he needs held himself. Fuck...I feel awful! I made a huge mistake!_

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" Grimmjow asked, noticing how quiet the berry had gotten. Ichigo suddenly wrapped his arms around the bluenette's stomach, burying his face in the crook of his neck. His body shuddered, and Grimmjow felt something cold and wet slide down his neck. Ichigo was crying.

"I'm so sorry! You've been suffering, all this time, since I found you in Hueco Mundo, and I never tried to help you! I just got mad at you for not telling me...and then I broke up with you..." He sobbed, trailing off when his voice failed him.

"Hey, don't you go blaming yourself. It was my fault for never saying anything and not letting you help. You couldn't possibly have known what was wrong, so it's understandable to get angry. Besides, I fucked up way more than you did. I've never been in a relationship like this, so I don't know what to do. You were right to leave me." Grimmjow said, ignoring the pain in his heart.

"No, I wasn't right to do that to you. I've never really been in a relationship either, so I didn't know how to handle it when you wouldn't tell me anything."

"Let's just not worry about that right now. I don't want to talk about our relationship until you're okay again. You've been through a lot, why don't we just rest for a while? When this is all over, we'll talk about us."

"You think I'll be okay again?" Ichigo asked, not bothering to move from Grimmjow's shoulders.

"I know you will. You're strong, Ichigo, a lot stronger than I ever was. There's not one doubt in my mind that you'll get better."

"I hope you're right..."

"I'm just glad you're home." Grimmjow said, his eyelids growing heavy. When was the last time he slept?

"Yeah, but it's not over yet. He's coming back for me, Grimmjow, and he's going to take me back."

"No he's not, Ichigo. We're all here to protect you."

"He'll kill you." Ichigo said, making Grimmjow furrow his eyebrows in confusion and frustration.

"You're scared of him, aren't you? You really believe he'll win?" Grimmjow asked, sighing when Ichigo nodded his head.

"You have no idea what he's like, Grimmjow. I'm terrified of him."

_This is so unlike him...the Ichigo I knew wasn't scared of anyone. Is this guy really that bad? He seems like another Aizen. Well...I guess that's pretty bad. But even Halibel said he's a lot worse than Aizen. Either way...he fucked with Ichigo's head. Ichigo always believes that we'll win, he's always had hope and confidence. And now..it's like all of that has just been stolen from him. How long...was he in there? It couldn't have been that long...did this guy really break Ichigo so quickly?_

"Like I said before, he'll have to go through me and everyone else before he gets to you. And even then, I won't let him take you. I know you're not okay right now, and you probably won't be for a while, but just know this; I will protect you with my life. I'd let him take me if it meant you would stay here."

"Grimmjow..." Ichigo mumbled, wanting to say something but not having the energy for it.

"Enough. Just go back to sleep." Grimmjow said, but Ichigo had already done so. Grimmjow decided to follow the orangenette into a fitful slumber that wouldn't last long.

* * *

Halfway through the night, everyone in the Kurosaki household, (which was Karin, Yuzu, Isshin, Grimmjow, Ichigo, Halibel, and her fraccion) was woken up by the sounds of screaming and crying, coming from the guest room which Halibel and her fraccion were staying in. Grimmjow's eyes shot open, hearing footsteps run down the hall and into the room, the screams getting louder as the door opened. He too rushed out, passing the girls who were standing in the doorway to their room, looking terrified and confused. Isshin was in the room, trying to calm Halibel down along with her fraccion.

"What's wrong with her?" Grimmjow asked, watching as Halibel writhed in the bed, screaming in pain.

"She's hallucinating, like Ichigo did earlier. She must have had a nightmare that triggered it." Isshin replied, not quite sure what to do. Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Apacci were all holding her down, trying to snap their leader out of it.

"Let me help." A voice said, making Grimmjow turn to look at Ichigo standing in the doorway.

"Ichigo, you shouldn't be up. Besides, I don't think you should see this." Grimmjow said, walking to stand by the orangenette.

"Wait, he might be able to help her. She'll recognize his voice more than ours right now, since they were imprisoned together." Isshin said, moving aside for Ichigo to step in.

"Halibel, you need to wake up now. You're safe, remember? You're at my house. Just wake up. Juhabach isn't here." Ichigo said, resting a hand on Halibel's arm. She stopped screaming and blinked slowly, a few choked sobs escaping her, and then her eyes landed on Ichigo and she threw her arms around him, shocking everybody.

"Ichigo..I was in the room again...he was there, saying he would come back for us, and then he...he..." She broke off, letting the sobs take over again.

"I know. I had the same dream before. He's not here, Halibel. You're okay." Ichigo said, his voice low and calm.

"But he _is_ coming. You know he will and he'll take us back! We'll die there, Ichigo!" She cried, and Ichigo didn't respond. He felt the same way, but if he said that, she would only feel worse. But at the same time, he didn't want to feed her lies, telling her she will be safe and that Juhabach won't come back. So he decided to stay quiet and just hold the woman, feeling like breaking down himself.

"That's why you're going to fight, Halibel. You're going to get your sword back, get stronger, and fight so he won't be able to take you back. I'm not going to let him take one person away from us." Grimmjow said, surprising even Ichigo.

"But..Grimmjow..you don't understand!"

"I don't understand? Did you forget what Aizen did to us, to me? I understand plenty, Halibel. But I'm still here, I'm alive and fighting. I know you can too, you're stronger than me after all. I know you've been through hell, and it's good that you're expressing your pain, but don't think so negative. You'll never make it like that."

"I...I need to be alone. Sorry to wake all of you." Halibel said, releasing Ichigo and laying back down. Grimmjow led Ichigo out of the room and back into his own, closing the door and taking his place in the bed. Ichigo waited until they were settled before breaking down, holding the blanket up to cover his face. Grimmjow wrapped his arms around him, staying like that until Ichigo calmed down, which took some time.

"I never thought..she would break down like that. She's been so strong all this time, even though she suffered worse than I did. Seeing her look so strong kept me from completely losing it, but now..she finally cracked." Ichigo said, resting his head on Grimmjow's chest.

"She's been getting treated like that since before Juhabach even showed up, Ichigo. It's healthier if she let's it out. She waited until she was safe to break down, so that the enemy doesn't see her act weak. But she won't give up. She'll be pretty messed up for a while, maybe even for the rest of her life, but it won't be like this every night." Grimmjow said, remembering a time when he too stopped sleeping at night because of the nightmares and pain.

"Will I be like that too?" Ichigo asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

"For a while, yeah. But I'll be here for you. I'm not going to let him break you, Ichigo. I'm going to kill him."

"He knows about my mom..." Ichigo said, only half awake now.

"He _what_? How do you know that?" Grimmjow asked in disbelief.

"He mentioned it...before he took me...and he said...something about me being part quincy..."

"You..that can't be true. What does your mom have to do with any of this?" Grimmjow asked, but Ichigo had already fallen back asleep, so he let it go for now and decided to go back to sleep too.

* * *

The next morning, Grimmjow felt exhausted, and was glad Ichigo wasn't training today. Halibel was already gone, having went to Urahara's to start training. Ichigo was still sleeping, which was probably for the best. He would need to energy for tomorrow when he actually had to start training.

_I should probably tell him about Zangetsu and Pantera. Actually, I still have no idea what that's all about. It's like our inner worlds are combined or something. Hmm..I wonder..._

Grimmjow sat up in bed, making sure not to wake Ichigo, and focused on Pantera even though she wasn't with him. Just like last time, he felt himself fade away from the world and into his own, and surprisingly Zangetsu wasn't there this time. Pantera lay on a rock near the spring, watching Grimmjow with her feline eyes and flicking her tail boredly.

"What do you want now? I'm trying to nap over here." She said, her voice thick from sleep.

"I came to get some answers, lazy ass. Ichigo's safe now, and tomorrow he's gonna train with Zangetsu. I just want to know what's going on with the both of you." Grimmjow said, not bothering to get up from the ground.

"Isn't it obvious? Of course not, you're an idiot after all. Don't you remember when we trained and that huge light engulfed us? And I told you about that piece of Ichigo's soul you had inside of you? When you finally figured out that you were meant to protect Ichigo and the shinigami, and that you yourself are part shinigami, you unlocked the power of that piece of soul which had been dormant since it entered you. Get it now?" Pantera explained, waving her clawed hand back and forth.

"...Kind of.." Grimmjow said, giving her a deadpan look.

"Do I have to spell it out? You awakened the shinigami half of you, which not only gave you my full power, but also Ichigo's since he gave you his soul! You and Ichigo share powers now, which is why our worlds are combined! Remember what the bottom of this spring led to before? Now it flows into Zangetsu's world. You can use Ichigo's power, just as he can use mine."

"But..why would he be able to use my power? Shouldn't it only go one way?"

"Since Zangetsu is okay with all of this, I figured I should give Ichigo something in return. We thought it would be best to share powers, instead of letting you be selfish and keep them all for yourself." She continued explaining, becoming more and more annoyed as Grimmjow continued to be confused.

"So...okay, I think I get it, but something doesn't add up. Why is it so easy for zanpakutos to share their worlds? Can everyone do this or is it just because I have a piece of his soul?"

"No, this is actually very rare. The only way for this to happen is if the owners of the swords are compatible. You and Ichigo are soul mates, which is why me and Zangetsu can be so open to each other."

"You make it sound like you're together." Grimmjow said flatly.

"Well duh. Do you see this body? How could he resist?"

"Wait, you're serious?! That's fucking weird!" Grimmjow yelled, looking mortified.

"What can I say? I'm quite the catch, and he's not too bad himself." Pantera shrugged.

"You really are my zanpakuto."

"Damn right. Now, if that's all, I'd like to go back to sleep." She said, curling back up into a ball.

"Yeah yeah, enjoy it while you can. Training starts tomorrow for me and Ichigo." Grimmjow said, feeling himself fading back out. Pantera groaned, waving her hand in dismissal and falling back asleep. When Grimmjow came to, Ichigo was still sleeping, and the house was quiet.

_Hmph. Kicked out by my own zanpakuto. Lazy ass._

_**Meanwhile at the Urahara shop, underground training area...**_

Halibel took in her surroundings, wondering how such a place could exist under a small store. Her fraccion were sitting on a high boulder, waiting for the training to start. Urahara stood opposite of Halibel, his cane in hand. The hatted man had no idea how this would work, since her sword had been destroyed in resurreccion form, which Halibel seemed to be stuck in. He had never trained an espada before, so this would definitely be a challenge.

"Shall we begin, Miss Halibel? Perhaps some hand to hand combat first?" He asked, his usual smile in place.

"Call me Halibel, and come at me with your sword. I want to regain my powers as soon as possible." Halibel said, shaking the memory of the previous night. She didn't want to be weak anymore, and despite her gripping fear of Juhabach, she wanted to kill him.

"Very well, Halibel. Just let me know if you want to stop." Urahara said, his cane vanishing and turning into Benihime.

"Let's go." She said, getting into a fighting stance. Her fraccion watched nervously, fearing for their leader. The two charged at each other, one with a sword and the other unarmed, and then blood splattered on the ground.

"Lady Halibel!" Mila Rose cried, moving to jump down to her master. Sung-Sun stopped her, looking calm despite her inner worry.

"Don't. She wants to do this, and we are not to interfere. This man will not kill her." She said behind her sleeve.

"But what if she can't handle it? What if it's like last night?" The dark skinned woman asked.

"Are you doubting lady Halibel? She has gone through years of torture and has not died. Just because she's finally taking in what her life has been like doesn't mean she will fail. Can't you see the fire in her eyes? I've never seen it before. She wants this man to pay for all he has done to her, and she wants to get stronger. I know she can do it."

"You're right. Lady Halibel can do it!"

"Of course I'm right."

"Don't get cocky, stupid snake!"

"Shut up, Apacci!"

"You shut up, Mila Rose!"

"Both of you shut up, you'll distract Lady Halibel."

"Shut up Sung-Sun!"

* * *

**A/N: Ah, I'm glad this is finally done. Sorry for the long wait, but I've been distracted recently with a lot of things. This story is probably going to drag out for a while, so I hope you all bear with me. I can't really say what will happen in the next chapter, since I haven't planned ahead yet, so just stay tuned and remember to review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I know, it's been forever since I've updated. Stupid job takes up too much of my time -.- But I'm going to try to finish this chapter today. I'll apologize in advance for any mistakes/ overall crappiness for this chappy, since I'm not feeling that good right now. Depression is a bitch -.- But hopefully this won't suck too much. Fighting scenes aren't my thing...and this whole chapter is mostly fighting...so yeah. Here goes nothing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

* * *

"How long has this been going on?" Grimmjow asked Sung-Sun, who was still perched on the tall boulder. The three were still watching their leader fight, looking mildly worried yet bored at the same time.

"They took a break yesterday night, but ever since this morning they haven't stopped. I'm starting to wonder if we should interfere." The woman replied, narrowing her eyes at Urahara as his sword cut into Halibel's arm again.

"Just leave her be. Urahara won't let it go too far, and besides, she wouldn't want us to get in the way. Anyways, shouldn't you three be training too? You should do something productive instead of sitting around worrying." The bluenette said, crossing his arms.

"Shouldn't_ you_ be training?" Sung-sun shot back, sending a glare towards Grimmjow who merely grinned.

"Wanna spar? I've got some new moves I need to try out, and you three seem like good practice dummies."

"Practice dummies?!" Apacci and Mila Rose yelled, jumping to their feet in a flash. Sung-Sun also stood, giving Grimmjow an annoyed look and drawing her sword.

"You'll regret saying that. Let's go."

"Alright, Ichigo, we've found our lab rats. Let's see what our combined powers can do." Grimmjow said to the berry, who until this point had been quietly watching Halibel.

"Maybe you should stop insulting them." Ichigo said, sweat dropping as all three girls glared at him.

"Nah, it's more fun to piss them off first. Now, are we gonna fight or not?" Grimmjow said, unsheathing Pantera. Ichigo reluctantly did the same with Zangetsu, looking at the blade curiously. It felt so much different then before, and instead of feeling his own soul within it, he also felt Grimmjow's.

_We really are connected...so then why do I feel so far away from him? We're so distant...yet so close...is it because we're not together?_

Ichigo didn't have time to think, and he barely dodged a sword that was aiming for his stomach. Apacci glared at him, obviously angry and needing to take it out on someone. Grimmjow was fighting both Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, looking like he was having the time of his life. With a sigh, Ichigo swung at Apacci, their swords clashing.

"Getsuga tenshou!"

"What the— Grimmjow?!"

"What? We share powers, remember? Start trying shit out! That's the point if this, right?" Grimmjow said, blocking a sword that shot out of the dust created by the blast.

"I thought it was to get stronger." Ichigo replied in a deadpan voice.

"Same thing." Grimmjow shrugged, firing another getsuga. Ichigo rolled his eyes and tried remembering one of Grimmjow's moves, yet found it wasn't very easy.

_Besides ceros, what else did he do? Shit...I should know this...but it's been so long since we last fought. Let's see...there was that one thing...it was pretty simple, but I can't remember the name. Damn it..what was it? Oh yeah!_

"Garra de la Pantera!" Ichigo yelled, swinging his sword horizontally. Five teal colored spikes shot out, and Apacci managed to dodge two of them. The other three actually wounded her pretty well. Grimmjow looked shocked for a moment, but then smirked, feeling proud for some reason.

_I don't remember telling him the name of that attack. He must have remembered through Pantera. For me, I can only use that attack in resurreccion form, and they come out of my elbow. Speaking of resurreccion form...no, now isn't the time. I'll save that for later._

"Good job, Ichigo!" Grimmjow said, blocking another hit from Sung-Sun.

"Thanks...b-but, I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you alright?" Ichigo asked, looking at the deep gashes in Apacci's arm and side.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. This is a fight after all. Just focus on learning your new abilities, try something else out now." She replied through gritted teeth, obviously trying to ignore the burning pain. Ichigo glanced at Grimmjow, who was firing getsuga tenshous like there was no tomorrow, and nodded. He used his own sword to cut his hand, and then held it out, watching as a blue sphere began to form.

"Gran Rey Cero." He said, watching as the light shot forward and just barely missed Apacci. He felt a wave of dizziness pass through him, and his heart began to race.

**_You should rest now, Ichigo..._**

_Zangetsu?_

**_He's right. You're pushing yourself too far. It's only the first day, idiot._**

_P-Pantera?_ Ichigo's legs gave out, and his chest felt like it was being crushed. The female sword spirit sighed, alerting Grimmjow who was too into his fight to notice.

"Huh? Ichigo, are you alright?" Grimmjow asked, quickly sheathing Pantera and running over to the orangenette.

"Yeah..I just pushed it too far, I guess." Ichigo replied, smiling weakly. He then squeaked as Grimmjow swooped him up, carrying him bridal style to the ladder.

"Oi, put me down! I can walk!"

"Horse shit. You're going back to bed." Grimmjow said, sonidoing away.

"He's much weaker than I thought." Sung-Sun said, walking over to Apacci.

"I don't understand it. Lady Halibel has been through so much more than him, yet she's been training harder and longer. He shouldn't be this weak." Apacci replied, looking at the spot where Ichigo had been.

"We don't really know what happened in that place. Juhabach may have done something to him that he didn't do to Lady Halibel, and that might be why he's so weak. The only people who know what happened are him, Juhabach, and Lady Halibel." Mila Rose said, dusting off her shoulders. The other two nodded, a sense of dread creeping it's way towards them.

"Perhaps we should go check on Lady Halibel."

* * *

Halibel fell to her knees for what felt like the hundredth time, panting and bleeding profusely. Kisuke walked over to her, sheathing Benehime and frowning sharply. They had been training heavily for two days, and while he wasn't expecting her sword to come back, he certainly thought something would have happened. Yet Halibel still had made no improvement.

"Come on, let's take another break. You need to eat something and to get healed." He said, holding his hand out to help her up.

"I don't want to take another break, I want my sword back! I want to get out of this form already! I'm tired of being so weak, I just want my powers back!" She yelled, slapping his hand away and standing on shaky legs. Urahara sighed, having expected this.

"Halibel, if you don't come willingly, I'll have no choice but to—"

"To what?!_ Force_ me?! You think I'm not used to that by now?!" She took a step towards Urahara, her eyes starting to water. Kisuke's hands went for the hilt of Benehime, but then as an afterthought, returned to his sides.

"I never said that, Halibel. I'm just trying to help you. I don't want to force you into anything, but if you don't rest, you'll never get your sword back."

"That's what they all say! Just save your breath, I've heard it all before! I—" She was cut off as a hand knocked into her side, leaving her breathless and unconscious. Urahara caught her, sighing once again.

"Oi, what did you just do to her?!" Mila Rose yelled, running over to him.

"She needs rest, but she refused. I had no choice." He said simply, letting the three women carry their leader away.

"We'll take care of her now." Apacci said, helping the other two sonido away with Halibel.

"You're worried, aren't you." A deep voice said, making Urahara turn around slowly. He stared down at the black cat, not surprised that she had been watching.

"Of course I am. She's not getting better, and at this rate, Juhabach will return and she'll be defenseless. Plus, Ichigo's been reduced to an empty shell of his former self, and can't even use a fraction of his power. Juhabach only had him for a week and a half...and yet he did enough damage to make it seem like years. His reiatsu has changed and is unbalanced, but I don't know how to fix it. What's worse, is I have no idea what Juhabach did. There's just so much wrong with this situation...I'm finding it hard to stay hopeful myself."

"The Head Captain is dead, too."

"They have Shunsui. He won't let them down." Urahara said, running a hand over his face. He had been trying to forget about that depressing fact.

"If Juhabach returns, Shunsui won't have a chance. You know that just as well as I do. The reality of this situation is we need Ichigo back to full power, and Grimmjow is the only person who can help." Yoruichi said, her tail flicking back and forth.

"Why do you say that?" Urahara asked curiously.

"They share powers now, right? If Ichigo needs to regain his strength, who better to help him than the person with the same amount of power? Grimmjow is the key to his recovery. As for Halibel, the time will come when she'll need her sword, and she will get it back. I can tell by looking at her that she isn't one to give up. All we need to do is help train them and wait for Juhabach." Yoruichi explained.

"I suppose your right. Unfortunately, something tells me it won't be that easy."

"It never is."

* * *

In the Soul Society, repairs were being made, people were coping with the loss of Yamamoto and trying to wrap their heads around Shunsui taking his place. Each squad had their own ways of coping, and some were better than others. Soi Fon had been drilling her squad members into the ground, making them train non stop. The ninth division had buried itself in paperwork, a habit developed by Shuuhei's overall life style. Some just continued on with their usual lives, choosing to not think about it. The sixth division happened to be one of these squads.

"Renji, did you finish those papers yet? I want to go home already." Byakuya said, his voice calm as ever. The group had gone home shortly after Ichigo returned safely, since there was much work to be done.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much done. Let's just go now, I'm beat." The redhead replied, stretching as he did.

"Jumping at the chance to leave before finishing work? How predictable." Byakuya said, smirking as Renji scowled.

"Ouch. You know, for a lover, you're pretty mean. Sometimes I feel like you're still just my Captain." Renji said, his bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly.

"You wound me, Renji. I only do it for your own good. Would you like me to make it up to you?" The noble asked, his tone suggestive. Renji quirked an eyebrow and smirked, chuckling lightly.

"You know just how to make me feel better."

While the sixth division focused their time doing_ other_ things, another squad was having an all out brawl. This wasn't an unusual thing, ordinarily, but under specific circumstances it was extremely different. The air around them was heavy and full of sorrow, laced with the usual bloodlust and love for battle. Three squad members watched, a concerned expression in their faces.

"He's still not back." Ikakku said, a hint of annoyance behind his words. Yumichika sighed, his head resting on the others shoulder.

"You know him, he's probably drawing it out on purpose. I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah...maybe. But we all know who he's up against." Ikakku said, not convinced by his partners tough front. They were equally worried.

"Oh come on, nobodies ever seen her actually fight. I'm sure he's just training."

"No, Yumi, there's a reason she was chosen to train him. I've just got a bad feeling it isn't just some every day sparring session. What if she killed him?"

"Don't say that about Kenny!" Yachiru yelled, her tiny fists balled up. Ikakku snapped his mouth shut, surprised at the pain in the usually happy girls voice. "Kenny can't die! You're his men, shouldn't you believe in him? You know he doesn't give up, not ever! Kenny...Kenny can't be dead. I won't believe it!"

"...You're right. Captains gonna be okay."

Elsewhere, Retsu Unohana fell, a hole in her chest.

"Lieutenant Isane? Are you alright?" Came Hanataro's timid voice, walking up to the tall woman who had been staring out the window for hours.

"She's been gone for so long, I'm just worried." Isane replied, a hand covering her heart.

"She's training Captain Zaraki, I'm sure it will take some time."

"No..I can feel it. Somethings happened..."

"You can't mean to say...can you truly believe she's been defeated? Our Captain?" Hanataro asked, his eyes widening. Isane shook her head, allowing a few tears to stream down her face.

"I don't know..."

"No...we've already lost the Head Captain and Lieutenant Sasakibe. We can't afford another death! This war...has taken too much from us!" Hanataro raised his voice, not wanting to believe it.

"It's not over yet, either. Someone else...is sure to die."

* * *

**A/N: Meh...Kinda ended on a depressing note. I just had to throw in a spoiler for chapter...hmm...526 I believe. I don't want to believe it either DX As for the next chapter, I have no idea what will happen. I've been so busy with school and work, it's a miracle I wrote this one chapter. So please bear with me, I will not let this story go unfinished. I thank you all who have supported me thus far, I hope you don't give up on me!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: *Hides behind wall* I know, I know! It's been too long. Not only do I have work and school, but now I've gotten distracted with a different story. I know, I'm a terrible person. Blame Fairy Tail, not me! But anyways, I've finally thought of some ideas for this story. I was going to have Juhabach come back this chapter, but it's still too early, so I decided to say no on that one. But don't worry, it's coming! As for this chapter...well, somethings gonna happen, I just don't know what yet. Now that the manga's explaining Isshin's past, I can include that in here. It sucks waiting for the manga to update -.- But I've already messed up on this story too much, so I have no choice! But enough of my rambling, let's get this started.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

The next few days were tough for everyone, and consisted of the same repetitive routine. Halibel trained until she dropped, her fraccion watching and occasionally sparring. Grimmjow tried to help Ichigo train, but he would always get exhausted and need to be carried home. Then came the nights. Halibel, having decided to stay at Urahara's, would always wake up screaming. She didn't want to scare Ichigo's sisters, but soon found that Urahara's wasn't any better, what with Jinta and Ururu being there. She felt like there was no place for her to belong to, and was starting to seriously wonder why she was alive. Without Tiburon, she felt weak and defenseless, yet she wouldn't stop training. Urahara was starting to wonder if that was good or bad.

Then there was Ichigo, who wasn't doing much better.

He too woke up every night, drenched in a cold sweat and screaming. Sometimes he would wake up and still see his nightmare, thinking it was real. During those episodes Grimmjow would try his best to talk him out of it, but it wouldn't always work. Sometimes he would have to get Isshin, who would constrain him with Bakudo. Other times he would just knock him out. Needless to say, everyone in the Kurosaki house and Urahara shop desperately needed sleep. Since they had no idea when Juhabach would strike, nobody could afford to rest for more than a few hours at a time. They hadn't talked to anyone in the Soul Society for quite some time, so no one knew how they were doing. All they could do was wait for the inevitable, but the fear of the unknown was killing them. When would he return? Would he have a new army? Would he try to capture Ichigo, or Halibel? What about Grimmjow?

There were just too many questions.

And Urahara, being the man he is, wanted answers to every one of them. His main concern was Ichigo, though, so that's where he started. Early one morning, he called the boy, asking if he could see him. Ichigo sounded tired but agreed to come. When he got there, Urahara hooked him up to some machines and took a blood sample. His reiatsu was very complicated and hard to figure out, and he eventually needed Grimmjow as well. With both of them hooked up, it was much easier. Their reiatsu's were indeed combined, yet something was off. It was as if there was some kind of invisible barrier getting in the way of their powers, preventing them from mixing properly. Urahara instructed Grimmjow to raise his spiritual pressure and monitored how it affected both of them, and the results were surprising.

It seemed that whenever Grimmjow used his powers, it simultaneously drained Ichigo's. However, when Ichigo used his powers, Grimmjow's were only slightly affected. It explained why Ichigo kept passing out whenever they sparred, and why Grimmjow seemed fine. This only raised more questions. Ichigo asked Zangetsu and Pantera why this was happening, but the two sword spirits were at a loss. They were all connected, but the powers weren't being divided evenly. Grimmjow tried using less spiritual pressure when training, but the same thing would happen. Urahara continued to monitor them, and kept noticing how something in Ichigo's reiatsu kept him from receiving his full power. He would stay awake trying to think of reasons why, but came up empty handed. That is, until, one day it hit him.

"Ichigo, didn't you say Juhabach injected you with something?" He asked, noticing how the orangenette shivered at the memory.

"It was Quincy reiatsu, and a lot of it. He gave some to Halibel too. Why, do you think it's got something to do with this?" The berry asked, looking worried. Ever since that day, his reiatsu had felt completely different, but he had blamed it on Grimmjow's powers mixing with his own.

"I think it's been holding us back this entire time. Come on, I want to try something." Urahara said, leading them to the testing room. "You too, Grimmjow." He added as they passed the bluenette who was drinking tea. He sat them on the medical beds and grabbed a syringe, smiling as they both quirked an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, this isn't for blood. Grimmjow, I'll need you to raise your reiatsu, just slightly." He said, positioning the needle next to the thin blue layer of spirit energy. He pulled the plunger up, getting a large amount of Grimmjow's reiatsu, and then walked over to Ichigo.

"Now Ichigo, I'll need you to stay calm, this might be unpleasant. If my assumptions are correct though, this should help you." The hatted man said, positioning the needle over the left side of Ichigo's chest. Before the teen could blink, he was being injected with Grimmjow's reiatsu, and let out a pain filled howl. It wasn't as painful compared to Quincy reiatsu, but it still hurt. When he was done, a wave of dizziness passed through, and then he felt normal.

"Well?" Grimmjow asked, looking at Ichigo curiously. He himself felt fine, and didn't even feel the missing reiatsu.

"I...don't know. I feel fine, I guess." Ichigo said with a shrug, putting his shirt back on.

"Grimmjow, try raising your spiritual pressure again." Urahara said, watching Ichigo closely. Grimmjow did as he was told, but stopped as Ichigo swooned. He quickly caught him, laying him down onto the bed.

"Damn it, nothing changed." Grimmjow said, his face scrunched up in anger and confusion.

"No..something definitely changed. I still feel weak, but it's not as bad as before." Ichigo said, looking up at Urahara. "How did you know what to do?"

"Well, it was just a guess, but I figured since he injected you with Quincy reiatsu, it must have overpowered your normal spirit energy and messed with your power. Since you and Grimmjow share shinigami and hollow powers, and since he was using them normally, your reiatsu had a reaction to it. I'm not sure of the details still, but it looks like we found our solution. I think we should continue injecting Grimmjow's reiatsu into you until you're all balanced out again." Urahara explained.

"But wouldn't that weaken him too?" Ichigo asked, sending Grimmjow a worried glance.

"I'll have to monitor his reiatsu, but I don't think he'll be affected. Once your reiatsu balances, you'll be able to properly share powers. We'll try another dose later, but for now you should go home and rest."

"But...shouldn't we keep training?" Ichigo asked, squawking as Grimmjow once again scooped him up.

"No way in hell, strawberry. You need rest." Grimmjow said, already walking outside. Urahara chuckled, returning to the kitchen to find Yoruichi, who was eating way too much food again. Honestly, Urahara didn't know where she put it.

"I can see a difference already." She said in between mouth fulls.

"In what? Ichigo's power, or..?"

"Their relationship?" She finished, a knowing gleam in her yellow orbs. Kisuke nodded, relieved that he wasn't the only one.

"They'll get there, I just know it. Now, what to do about Halibel..."

* * *

"Grimmjow, for the last time, I'm fine!" Ichigo yelled, struggling to get out of the bluenette's iron grip. He had fussed all the way home, insisting that he could walk and that people were staring, but Grimmjow wasn't having any of it. He had carried the berry all the way home and was now walking into their shared bedroom, laughing as Ichigo punched his chest. Even if he was weakened, he still punched hard. As he walked to the bed, he failed to notice Kon sleeping on the floor and tripped over the stuffed lion, resulting in a rather suggestive position. Ichigo had landed on the bed safely, but with him came Grimmjow, whom he was now staring up at. The ex-espada had landed right on top of Ichigo and was pressed firmly against him, their lips just inches apart. Neither one of them moved. Ichigo had forgotten just how stunning Grimmjow's eyes were and was now lost in a sea of blue, while the bluenette was more focused on how delicious Ichigo's lips looked. The air around them soon became hot and nearly suffocating, and Grimmjow could feel the sexual tension skyrocket. When was the last time they had sex again? He couldn't quite remember, which only meant it was too long. Ichigo was thinking the same thing, surprised that he actually wanted to have sex with the guy who broke his heart, especially with everything going on right now.

_But..I never did stop loving him...did I?_

"G-Grimm..." Ichigo managed to murmur, licking his lips nervously. Grimmjow seemed to snap out of whatever kind of trance he was in and realized that he shouldn't be doing this. After everything he did to the berry, he didn't deserve to be in this position. Hadn't they argued about his sexual tendencies anyways?

_And now here I am, thinking about sex while he's in a weakened state. He must think I planned this. What's wrong with me?_

"S-sorry...I'm gonna go take a shower..you need rest." He said, looking away shamefully. He missed the confused and slightly disappointed look in Ichigo's eyes, quickly exiting and heading for the shower. A very, very cold shower.

_What was that all about? I'm supposed to be mad at him...right? So then why do I feel like this? We did make up...I guess...but we're not together. Why aren't we together? I never realized...how much I miss him._

"Ichigo." A voice said, snapping the orangenette out of his thoughts. Isshin entered his room, looking surprisingly serious, and sat down in the chair by Ichigo's desk. "We need to have a talk. I wanted to wait until you got better...but I feel that we don't have much time left. It's time I tell you...about your mother."

"Mom? Why would you bring her up at a time like this?" Ichigo asked, a memory of Juhabach mentioning Masaki flashing through his mind.

"Ichigo...did I ever tell you how I met Masaki?" Isshin asked, looking nostalgic for a split second.

"Yeah...you said you guys met in a bar or something...right?" Ichigo asked, becoming more confused.

"Is that really what I said? Hm, I thought I made up a more cool story, like how I single handedly saved her from a burning building and she fell head over heels for me."

"Dad! Get to the point!" Ichigo yelled, wishing he had energy to punch his goat faced father.

"Oh, right! Well, I lied. You see, I was on a mission one night, and stumbled across this odd looking hollow. The damn thing had me beat, until this girl came out of nowhere and started fighting it. That wasn't what surprised me though. What really got me, was the weapon she was using. They were arrows."

"Wait...y-you can't mean..." Ichigo trailed off, looking at Isshin with wide eyes.

"Ichigo, your mother was a Quincy." Isshin stated, gauging his sons reaction. Ichigo seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning."

* * *

While Ichigo listened to his dad reveal something he should have done years ago, Grimmjow worked out any..._stress,_ he had in his system. The hot water rolled down his perfectly sculpted body, the steam filling the room. Grimmjow's hand print could be seen on the glass wall as he used it for support, his other hand stroking his painfully hard member. His labored pants echoed off the walls, an occasional moan slipping past his lips. His legs felt weak from the intense heat, both from the water and the pleasure he was giving himself. His hand pumped faster, bringing himself to the edge and then abruptly stopping, leaving an intense tingling sensation behind. This was always how he pleasured himself, until he finally couldn't take it anymore.

He imagined Ichigo underneath him, writhing and moaning as he slid in and out of his body. He pictured himself licking and biting the flesh on Ichigo's neck, leaving red marks behind. He remembered how Ichigo would toss his head back and moan his name as he finished, spilling his seed over their stomachs. And then he remembered how they would curl up together and fall asleep, mumbling a tired 'I love you' before doing so. With one final flick of his wrist, Grimmjow finally came, sliding down onto the floor while breathing heavily. He watched with half lidded eyes as his cum slipped down the drain, wishing he didn't have to do this. He knew if he didn't, he would probably jump Ichigo like some horny teenager. He was ashamed of himself. Ichigo thought he only loved him for sex, as he had said so before in one of their arguments. It wasn't true, of course, but Grimmjow could see why he would think that. He really did love the berry though. And he planned on telling him that once all of this was over. He wanted to be with Ichigo again, but he knew now wasn't the time. Juhabach must be dealt with first, so Ichigo could feel safe again. Then Grimmjow would apologize properly, and hold Ichigo in his arms, kissing all of his mistakes away. He hoped he would get that chance.

Something told him, however, that things were about to go horribly wrong and that he might not get that chance. He didn't know why he felt this way, but had a pretty good idea.

Juhabach must be coming.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, a short chapter, how disappointing :( I'm not feeling too good right now, but I really want to update this already, so I suppose it'll do. As you can tell from the ending, Juhabach will make his dramatic return in the next chapter, and things will go wrong. We can finally get back to a plot! Now, I should go eat before I pass out. Remember to leave a review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**IMPORTANT NOTE! No, this is sadly not an update. It has come to my attention that somehow I managed to skip a chapter in this story. I remember writing it and uploading it, but somewhere along the line I forgot to actually add the chapter and ended up deleting it. So, in between chapter 10 and 11 there's a huge gap ^^ I would like to thank BloodySymphony for pointing it out to me, since I never would have noticed. Also, since I can't even remember what happened in that chapter, I can't re-write it. I do however remember the general idea of that chapter, so I'll just summarize it. It's much easier than redoing the whole thing. Yeah, I'm that lazy. So, in chapter 10, Ichigo's still being tortured by Juhabach and Grimm's making his way towards the headquarters. Halibel's knocked out, I think, and Zangetsu's been acting weird. At the end, Juhabach says somethin about infusing Quincy reiatsu into Ichigo's system, which would upset the balance in his soul. Juhabach wants to bring out the Quincy in Ichigo and block out the other three parts in his soul (hollow, human, and shinigami.) He then tells Ichigo to sleep, if only for a moment. Clearly, that won't last too long.**

**So what was SUPPOSED to happen after that was basically Grimmjow defeats Haschwald and races off to find Ichigo. He breaks into the headquarters and is surprised to see how empty it is. Of course it's a trap, but he doesn't know that. He finds the reeducation room and it mortified to see the state Ichigo is in, and is shocked to see Halibel. Now, let's rewind for a second. Before Grimmjow finds him, Ichigo gets injected with a shit ton of Quincy reiatsu and his powers become unstable. Shiro comes out and tries to blast Juhabach with a cero, but when he realizes Halibel would also get hit, Ichigo regains control. Now, my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think Ichigo then passes out. Then Grimm comes in and saves the day. Juhabach however catches him and sort of tries to stop them from escaping. In the end, Grimmjow is skeptical of Bach, because he decides to simply let them go. Yumichika and Ikkaku came back in and helped take out the other Quincys, so the whole group is ready for a fight against the leader. How anticlimatic XD Anywho, Grimmjow carries an unconscious Ichigo and Halibel back to the Soul Society. Juhabach has his reasons for letting them escape, naturally.**

**And...yeah. That's basically what happens. It's a shame this chapter didn't get posted, since it was pretty good. I'm not very good at summarizing...so...sorry ^^ You all know what happens after this. If not, read chapter 11. Sorry again, if you thought this was a new chapter. I just needed to fix this little slip up first. I haven't started the new chapter yet, but when I do I'll be sure to actually POST it when it's done. Also, sorry for any spelling mistakes, I'm in a hurry. Thanks again guys!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sweet Jesus, why haven't I updated?! I've got this story all planned out, yet I haven't typed it! I've just been too lazy I guess. But now that school is over I should have more time. Hopefully anyways. I still have an annoying job that will take up my time, and a boyfriend who has no idea I write this stuff. So, yeah, updates may continue to be slow. But anyways, were finally getting back into the main plot! Juhabach will make his return, shit will go wrong, and a bit of romance might slip through. So with that in mind, let's get on with it!**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Bleach.**

Grimmjow came out of the bathroom just in time to see Isshin leave Ichigo's room, wondering what they had talked about. He cautiously entered, taking note of Ichigo's completely blank stare at the floor. When the berry realized someone had entered the room his head snapped up, looking surprised for a moment before recognizing who it was.

"Hey." Grimmjow said, still feeling the tension from earlier.

"Hey.." Ichigo replied, his gaze returning to the floor. Grimmjow wasn't sure if he should ask what happened. After a few minutes of thinking it over his curiosity got the best of him.

"What did the old man want?"

"Just to talk..." Ichigo said, eyes never leaving the ground. Grimmjow bit back a sigh.

_He's always vague when he's bothered by something..._

"About what? Is everything alright?"

"I'm...not sure." He said, and after a pause added, "If someone told you that your Mothers death was on purpose, and that you had some bastards blood in you, would you feel okay?" He looked up at Grimmjow for an answer.

"Okay, you're not making sense. What do you mean your mom died on purpose? And you've got a lot of different blood running through you, so I have no idea who this bastard is." Grimmjow said, taking a seat on the bed next to Ichigo. The orangenette sighed, clasping his hands together.

"Nine years ago, when my mom saved me from Grand Fisher, she wasn't supposed to die. Juhabach made some sort of selection of Quincies and took her powers, which is why she couldn't defend herself. He also killed Uryuu's mom."

"Why would he take their powers?" Grimmjow said, his eyes wide.

"He needed them to become stronger, but he only chose half-blooded Quincies." Ichigo explained.

"Half-blooded? But...what else was your mom then?" Grimmjow asked, becoming more confused by the second.

"A hollow." Ichigo replied, going into further detail when Grimmjow gaped at him. By the time he was finished Grimmjow was staring at the floor, just as Ichigo had been.

"So...if his blood runs in every Quincy, and your mom was a half-blooded one, that means..."

"His blood is in my veins." Ichigo said, shivering at the thought. The man who had nearly destroyed him inside and out had killed his mother and was the King of all Quincies. To say he was disturbed would be an understatement.

"That's...wow."

"I know." Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair. Grimmjow gave him a sympathetic look, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, so what if his blood is in you? You're still you, right? Even if you are part Quincy, that just makes you more powerful. You've got a little bit of everything. Hollow, Shinigami, Quincy, and human. Shit, that's like...what, a quadruple threat? Juhabach should be terrified. And even if he killed your mom, that just gives you a bigger reason to kill him, right?" Grimmjow said, giving Ichigo a reassuring look. Ichigo didn't know what to say. How could Grimmjow be so confident, when he himself was positively scared of Juhabach? Did he believe in him that much?

"Grimmjow...I—"

Ichigo's words caught in his throat as an unbelievably heavy reiatsu crashed down on him, nearly suffocating him. He looked at Grimmjow with wide, terrified eyes, trying to keep his vision from fading as the dark feeling increased. Grimmjow snarled, jumping up and looking out of the window. Isshin had already changed into shinigami form and was yelling at Ichigo to get ready, but Ichigo heard none of it. His heart was beating too fast, his lungs not getting enough air. He could only focus on how strong and familiar the reiatsu was, and wished he had more time.

Juhabach had come.

* * *

**Earlier in the Soul Society...**

Renji had a bad feeling in his gut that told him today just wasn't going to be his day. He had been working hard all day, training as much as he could without passing out. Every other soul reaper had been doing the same, as were the orders from Kyoraku. He hadn't seen much of his friends lately. Kensei had taken Shuuhei out to train with Mashiro, Izuru was training with his Captain, Ikkaku and Yumichika were probably sparring with each other since Kenpachi hadn't returned yet, even Rangiku had disappeared somewhere. He and Byakuya had been drilling their squad into the ground, deciding that Captain Soi Fon had the right idea. Even so, Renji just wanted to go collapse in his and Byakuya's bed.

"Byakuya, can we take a break? If I keep flinging Zabimaru around any longer I think my wrist might snap." Renji said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"As tempting as that sounds, we cannot afford to rest yet. Every division member must train for a certain amount of time each day. The Soul Society cannot get invaded so easily again." Byakuya said, looking as calm as ever. Renji wondered if the noble was even capable of sweating.

"I know your right...but damn, it's so exhausting! We don't even know when this bastard is going to come." He said, crossing his arms in what could be called a childish way. Byakuya held back a smirk.

"Which is exactly why we must train. If he were to appear and we had not been training, we would surely lose. Everyone must do what they can, especially those without bankai." The noble said, looking remorseful for a second.

"Hey, don't go blaming yourself for that again. You're still strong without it. Besides, I'm sure we'll get yours back, along with everyone elses." Renji said, trying to cheer his lover up.

"You are optimistic, and I can admire that, but we can't get our hopes up. I may have to live the rest of my life like this, Renji. But I won't let you end up like this. Now, let's continue training."

"Ugh, fine." Renji groaned, preparing to lunge at Byakuya again. Just as he took a step forward, a blaring sound pierced his ears, echoing throughout the Seireitei. Everything was chaotic just a second later.

"The alarms!" Byakuya said, eyes wide. He could feel every strong reiatsu move towards the senkaimon, and realized it was time.

"That means..." Renji breathed, looking to his lover for confirmation.

"Karakura is being invaded. We must follow the others through the senkaimon immediately! If Juhabach gets what he has come for..."

"We won't stand a chance." Renji gulped, flash stepping away with his Captain, heart pounding in his chest.

* * *

**Moments before Juhabach's entrance...**

"Kisuke, are you still down here?" Yoruichi asked, surprisingly not in her cat form. She walked around, following her companions reiatsu, until she came to a clearing where he was training Halibel. Her fraccion were a short distance away, also practicing.

"Ah, Yoruichi, what brings you here?" Urahara asked, looking somewhat exhausted. The yellow eyed woman knew he had been investing most of his time in the former espada in hopes of regaining her sword, and it was obviously taking it's toll. Not to mention the lack of sleep everyone had been getting due to Halibel's unstable condition.

"Just checking in again. Isn't it about time for a break?" She asked, noticing how beat up Halibel looked. But the woman refused to stop.

"Probably, but I think she's got a bit more fight power in her. What do you say, Halibel?" Urahara asked, blocking another hit from the blonde.

"I refuse...to quit..." She panted, wiping a bit of blood off of her forehead.

"See? We're fine. How's everything going for you?" The hatted man asked, ducking as Halibel aimed a kick for his face.

"Nothings happened as of yet, and there's still no word from Soul Society. They've got their alarms set up so if any odd reiatsu enters Karakura Town, it'll go off immediately. And of course, they'll notify us if he invades them first. Really, Kisuke, you should rest. If he shows up out of the blue you'll both be too tired to fight." She said, ignoring the tired glare from Halibel.

"Ah, in a little bit. What are the odds of him popping up soon anyways? He doesn't have much of an army, though...I suppose someone like him wouldn't need one anyways. But still, I'm sure we've got plenty of time." He replied, giving her his trademark grin. Just as he said this, the air started buzzing and crackling, and Halibel's eyes shot open. Everyone froze for a split second, before Kisuke flash stepped towards the ladder.

"Come on, he's here! We have to get to Ichigo!" He shouted, disappearing immediately after. Yoruichi went to follow but stopped as she noticed Halibel not moving.

"Halibel, we can't stay here. It's time to fight." She said, knowing that the woman probably didn't want to see Juhabach.

"It's...it's him..." She muttered, the feeling of his heavy reiatsu sending chills down her spine. Her skin felt icy and disgusting from the familiar power, and her heart felt like it might explode.

"Halibel, if we stay here he'll find you. We have to go protect Ichigo. Do you want him to be taken by Juhabach?" Yoruichi asked, watching as green eyes slowly regarded her. An image of Ichigo hanging limply in his restraints came to her mind, his blood splattered on the floor and his skin ripped open, revealing something red and squishy.

"No..." She managed to choke out.

"Then let's go. Come on, you'll be fine. We've got reinforcements coming."

"...Right.."

* * *

High above Karakura, a lone figure stood, waiting patiently for the shinigami to appear. He smiled, thinking of how easy it will be to wipe them out and obtain his targets. He could take Ichigo back and finish his reeducation, and maybe even Halibel if he felt like it. And of course, there was Grimmjow, whom he was very interested in. Up until recently he had no idea the sexta espada had lived, not to mention how powerful he had become. Plus, he seemed close to Ichigo, which raised plenty of questions. Juhabach couldn't wait to put all three of them in the reeducation room and gain three new soldiers.

"Ah..I can tell from his reiatsu that he's gotten even stronger. But what's this? The Quincy reiatsu I injected him with seems to have diminished. His soul is nearly balanced out again. What a pity, I'll have to go through the entire process again. No matter, it will be enjoyable." Juhabach smirked, chuckling darkly as the buzzing sound of shunpo filled his ears. One by one, shinigami surrounded him, their swords drawn. But the ones he wanted hadn't arrived yet.

"Juhabach, what are you doing here?" A male voice asked. Juhabach didn't need to turn around to see who it was.

"Isshin Shiba. Or do you still go by Kurosaki? You ask why I'm here, yet you know the answer. Where is the boy?" He asked, turning to face the ex-captain.

"Doesn't matter. You're not getting your disgusting hands on him." Isshin replied evenly, holding Engetsu up as a precaution. Juhabach smirked.

"You think you can stop me? How foolish."

"We will stop you, and that's all there is to it." Another voice said.

"You must be the new Head Captain. A poor replacement for Genryuusai." The Quincy King said, regarding Kyoraku with calculating eyes.

"We wouldn't need a replacement if it wasn't for you. You've caused far too much trouble in our lives, and we won't let you continue."

"Is that so? We'll have to see about that."

"Indeed we will. In case you haven't noticed, you're outnumbered." Another voice said. Juhabach also knew who this belonged to, yet he turned to face the man anyways.

"You think so, Kisuke Urahara? What a shame, you have no clue what kind of army I have." He said, and with a snap of his fingers a cloud of black shadows appeared. Out of the blackness came several figures dressed in white, and a collective gasp could be heard from the mass of Shinigami.

"What...what the hell? Is this some kind of sick joke?" Renji asked, his face pale.

"You could only wish." A chilling voice whispered in his ear, and in a flash Renji's blood dripped from his back.

"Renji!" Byakuya yelled, swinging his sword at the attacker. His whole being froze as he stared into the black eyes of Äs Nödt.

"Captain Kuchiki, I've come to finish our fight. I assure you, this time you will not walk away with your life." The Quincy hissed, his thorns already forming around his body.

"How are they alive? We killed them in Hueco Mundo!" Urahara looked at Juhabach with eyes that could kill, but it didn't faze the man at all.

"All Quincies started from me. Tell me, as a man of science, can you honestly believe it is impossible for them to be alive? I am the King after all. Nothing is impossible for me."

"Juhabach...I'm going to kill you!" A new voice said, and a flash of blue appeared before the Kings eyes. He barely dodged a hit from the sword that was meant to kill him, turning to face one of his targets.

"There you are." He grinned, looking straight at Grimmjow. Behind him stood Ichigo and Halibel, looking at him with slightly terrified eyes. This pleased him.

"About time you showed up. I was getting tired of waiting." Grimmjow said, his grip tightening on Pantera.

"My apologies for the wait, Grimmjow. But fear not, it is finally time for you to return to my palace, along with Ichigo and Halibel."

"Keep dreaming!" Grimmjow shouted as he lunged at Juhabach, eyes widening as he suddenly vanished. His eyes widened in realization, and he quickly turned to stop the King. He let out a relieved breath when he saw Ichigo and Halibel safe, and Juhabach was nowhere near them.

"Ah, you thought I went straight for them? How interesting." Juhabach said, appearing a few feet away from Grimmjow.

"You bastard. You're not taking them anywhere!" Grimmjow growled, firing a getsuga at the Quincy King.

"A Getsuga Tensho?" Juhabach asked, too stunned to dodge it. The wave of power hit him dead on, causing him to fly back a few feet.

"A lots changed since you last saw us. This time, you won't win. I won't let you take them back to that room!"

"You're too confident, boy. I don't know why your reiatsu matches Ichigo's all of a sudden, but I will find out when we go back to the base." Juhabach growled, dusting off his shoulders.

_That getsuga didn't even leave a scratch! It must be that blut vene shit Urahara was talking about. Dammit...I'm gonna need more power._

Grimmjow glanced at Ichigo, who was gripping Zangetsu so hard his hands were shaking.

_Come on Ichigo, just fight him! This isn't like you at all! We need to hit him with everything we've got in order to win._

"Ichigo my son, you're awfully quiet." Juhabach said, snapping Grimmjow out of his thoughts. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

"Leave him alone." Grimmjow yelled, another getsuga forming around his blade. Ichigo gulped and suddenly appeared next to Grimmjow, his sword held up defensively. Halibel watched from behind, wondering what Ichigo was doing.

"I'm not going to let you win. I'm not going back to that room, and neither is Halibel!" He said, eyes coming to life with a new found determination.

"Ichigo..." Halibel said, hands clenched tightly at her sides.

"I'm going to make you pay...Juhabach!" Ichigo yelled, a massive getsuga forming around Zangetsu. He launched himself at the King, briefly noticing Grimmjow doing the same right beside him, and at the same time they swung their swords.

_I'm still terrified of him...but I can't stand by and watch Grimmjow fight him alone. It's time for me to get back on my feet and kick this bastards ass! For Grimmjow, and Halibel, and old man Yamamoto! And..for mom...I will win this fight!_

The two getsuga tenshos joined together and smashed into Juhabach, making a huge cloud of smoke fill the area. Seconds later hundreds of arrows shot out, and Ichigo quickly dodged them, using Grimmjow's Garra de la Pantera. All around him soul reapers fought Quincies, the sound of battle filled the area. Grimmjow fired a cero, that crazy maniac grin on his face. Even Halibel was fighting with her bare hands with some foot-soldier. Ichigo's eyes landed on Juhabach who looked downright pissed now, and noted the blood dripping from his wound.

_I can do this...I can win!_

**A/N: *Sighs* Finally! I thought this chapter would drag on forever! Yes, Ichigo's got his confidence back, and Halibel seems to be coming around. But will it last? *Cues dramatic music* You all know the answer to that. And if you don't, you will next chapter! Also in the next chappy, a few surprising faces come back, and things go terribly wrong. When will this amazing chapter come? Who knows! I sure don't XD But until then, review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I think my inspiration for this fic has finally come back! Also, I planned on updating this earlier, but my phone decided to give up on life. I had to drive really far to get a new one and what did I find once it got activated? All of my stuff had been DELETED! Yes, most of my music, pictures, and contacts. GONE. So that was my weekend ^^ Still have to redownload a shit ton of music. Ahh, don't you just love technology? And here I thought my phone loved me DX**

**Anywho, I have no idea when this story will end. Maybe three or four chapters from now. And if my inspiration doesn't leave me again, I'll be able to type everything out and have it all posted pretty fast. I'm just going to make my own ending, since we have no idea how Juhabach actually dies, and probably won't for a while. I just can't wait for Kubo and his slowness! Speaking of which, am I the only one who's pissed that he still hasn't revealed who that person was a while back?! You know, when Ichigo was talking to Urahara and then someone interrupts him, yelling at Urahara to let him talk to Ichigo? I swear it was Grimmjow! Even though you only see like, one sleeve it looks like Grimmjow's jacket! Plus he talks like Grimmjow too! Damn you Kubo, just show us who it is already! I need to know if our beloved Grimmkitty is still alive D:**

***Cough* I've rambled enough, yes? Let's get on with this chapter already.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

High above Karakura was pure chaos. Juhabach had an entire army of Quincies _and_ the revived Sternritter. The Soul Society had unseated officers galore and it's Captains and Lieutenants. And in the middle of it all was Juhabach, Grimmjow, and Ichigo. Halibel was doing a good job fending off foot-soldiers who thought it would be wise to attack Grimmjow or Ichigo while they were distracted. She wanted to fight Juhabach too, but just looking at the man made her break out into a cold sweat and her chest constricted painfully. Plus she didn't have a sword. Her fraccion were backing her up, fairing better than her.

_How pitiful...where has the Tres Espada gone?_ She thought bitterly.

Around him, Ichigo took the time to see who was fighting who, and how they were doing. Renji and Byakuya were fighting Äs Nödt, but it was unclear who was winning. Renji seemed to be doing most of the work while Byakuya struggled with something, Ichigo wasn't quite sure what. Urahara was fighting Quilge and seemed to be winning, Yoruichi was against Bambietta and also seemed to be winning. Isshin was fighting Haschwald and actually looked like he was struggling, but Ichigo knew his dad wasn't fighting full force yet. Komamura and his lieutenant were fighting Driscoll, while Shunsui and Jushiro fought Royd and Loyd. Toshiro was fighting NaNaNa Najahkoop, while Kensei and Shuuhei fought Buzzbee. Ichigo wasn't sure who the others were and didn't have much time to find out, since Juhabach was getting tired of waiting and clearly wanted to return to the base.

"Ichigo, above you!" Grimmjow yelled, just in time for Ichigo to block an onslaught of arrows with his sword. Grimmjow ran up from behind and jumped over him, firing a getsuga at Juhabach. Once again, it didn't leave a scratch.

_His blut vene is too strong for just one getsuga tensho. It seems like the only way to damage him is to combine our powers. But even then, it's not guaranteed we'll land a hit. This guys just too powerful. But we can't lose..._

Ichigo quickly snapped out of his thoughts when Juhabach came at him, sword in hand. The man seemed to prefer fighting with a sword which made things easier for Ichigo since that's what he's used to. While he and Juhabach battled with weapons, Grimmjow kept firing long ranged attacks in hopes of catching him off guard. Juhabach was a skilled fighter though and made it nearly impossible to get injured.

"Do you see now that giving up is a wise decision? You cannot beat me, Ichigo. In the end you know I will win, and you will return to the room you hate so much to become my soldier. Halibel could possibly be my soldier, but in her condition she will most likely die like the other espada. And as for Grimmjow..." The King trailed off, glancing over at the blue haired man, "I have much in store for him. Again, though, I doubt he will survive."

Juhabach's words angered Ichigo, and the mere thought of Grimmjow dying made his heart clench. His hollow was angry as well, just begging to be released.

_If I let you out, you won't want to go back in._ Ichigo said to his hollow

_**Of course I won't! But that doesn't matter right now! This son of a bitch needs to die already, and you know I'm perfect for that job!**_

_Not happening. I can handle this on my own._

**_Bullshit! You're still terrified of him, that's why your attacks alone won't do shit! The only way you'll win is if you combine attacks with blueberry over there! Face it, you can't do anything without him._**

_Be quiet already! This isn't your fight, so stay out of it!_

**_Not my fight?! How the fuck do you figure?! That sick bastard injected Quincy reiatsu into you, which weakened my powers! He's trying to get rid of me, I think I have a say in whether or not I fight back!_**

_Just shut up. You're not getting out and that's final._

**_Fine, but I'm warning you! If you fuck this up at any point, I'll come out by force and rip him to shreds!_**

_Yeah yeah._

"Why so quiet all of a sudden? You've let your guard down." Juhabach said, suddenly very close to Ichigo. Just as his reishi sword was about to pierce the flesh on Ichigo's back, he was blasted away by a massive wave of black and blue spirit energy. Simultaneously, Ichigo spun around and also fired his black and red getsuga tensho, watching as the two waves seemed to come together like magnets and hit Juhabach dead on. A pained grunt was heard behind black smoke, and then a few wheezing coughs. Juhabach emerged with another bad wound on his chest, overlapping the other gash forming an X.

"That's it! I'm tired of your insolence, you little brat! You are coming with me, even if I have to drag you there!" Juhabach yelled, his reishi sword dissipating. With one hand he held it up above him, making a horizontal cutting motion towards the sky. A large bow appeared, and he fired an arrow which plummeted down towards the earth, growing in size as it did so. He caught it as it passed him, gripping the base like a sword. Ichigo felt a stab of panic when he realized how big of a sword he now had.

_That thing..it's bigger than Zangetsu! What the hell was that anyways? Can he really use a giant arrow as a sword? Dammit...we're really gonna need to be careful now. I'd like to use bankai...but he can steal it, right? Last time I tried, he couldn't steal mine for some reason. But my powers have changed since then. Now that they're mixed with Grimmjow's, he might be able to steal it. It's too risky. I guess I just need to keep relying on Grimm._

**_Che..pathetic! You used to be able to rely on yourself! Now you need him to win a fight!_**

_There's nothing wrong with needing help sometimes!_

**_Sure, keep telling yourself that. Should I start calling him King, since you've handed over the crown?_**

_Shut up!_

"Ichigo, watch out!" Grimmjow yelled, appearing in front of Ichigo to block Juhabach's sword. "Why are you so distracted?! Now's not the time to be daydreaming!"

"It's not my fault! My hollow won't shut the hell up!"

_His hollow..? Wait...that's perfect!_

"Let him out." Grimmjow said, firing a cero at Juhabach to create some distance.

"What?! Are you crazy or something?" Ichigo yelled, looking at Grimmjow like he was a maniac.

"Think about it. We could use the extra power right now. You're hollows the kind of unstable power we need to defeat Juhabach."

"Grimmjow...that's the whole point. He is unstable. He doesn't use strategy when he fights, he just goes ballistic."

"Exactly. We've been using strategy and it hasn't gotten us anywhere. All it's done is piss him off and made him take out a bigger, stronger weapon. Now it's our turn. Your hollow is our stronger weapon."

"...Alright, fine, but if this doesn't work it's your fault." Ichigo said, closing his eyes and fading into his inner world.

**"I'm not holding back, you hear me? This will be just like last time with that emo espada."** His hollows voice echoed throughout the skyscrapers, making Ichigo roll his eyes.

"Great. Looks like I get to be a monster again." He sighed.

Outside of Ichigo's inner world, Grimmjow watched as the monster that was Ichigo's hollow charged a cero from his horns and fired it at Juhabach. He himself kept firing long ranged attacks and would occasionally go in for a closer attack, but Ichigo's hollow seemed to have that under control.

_Hey, if he has a hollow, shouldn't I? I mean, I started out as a hollow in the first place._

**_You idiot. Of course you do! It's just not like Ichigo's. Your hollow isn't another being that can speak to you and release itself. Your hollow is you. _**Pantera explained.

_Wait...what?_

**_Ugh, you're an idiot! Get in here and I'll show you!_** She yelled, and Grimmjow suddenly found himself in his inner world.

"Ugh, what the hell? Pantera! You can't just pull me in here during a fight!" Grimmjow yelled, looking for his sword spirit. She was lounging on a rock as usual, sitting upright like a cat.

**"I think you'll be fine. Just look at your reflection."** She replied, referring to the large pond behind her. Grimmjow cautiously walked over and peered over the edge, his eyes widening at what he saw.

"What the...that's my adjucha form! Er, kind of..." He said, gazing into the glowing blue eyes of his adjucha form the only thing that changed was that instead of being on all fours, he stood upright and was much thinner than before. His face was also more hollow like, having a mask instead of a face.

**"That's your hollow. And, he's currently kicking some Quincy ass with Ichigo's. At this rate I think the fight will be over soon."** Pantera said, examining her sharp nails boredly.

"You're sure? It sounds...too easy." Grimmjow said skeptically. Just as he said that, his inner world trembled, and he began to fade back into the real world.

"Pantera, what the hell is going on?" Grimmjow yelled, beginning to panic.

**"Damnit, I underestimated his power! Get out there and keep fighting!"** She yelled, looking panicked as well. Grimmjow soon found himself back in Karakura, still in hollow form, and realized Juhabach's spiritual pressure was so high that it was the cause of his inner world shaking so much. His broadsword was pressed firmly against Zangetsu, but with his reiatsu raised so high, Ichigo was beginning to struggle. Using his added strength from his hollow form, Grimmjow charged a getsuga tensho and fired it straight at Juhabach, but was shocked when the King sliced it in half with his sword while simultaneously using his Heilig Pfeil on Ichigo, the arrow piercing Ichigo's skin.

"Ichigo!" Grimmjow yelled, momentarily distracted. A rapid succession of arrows flew at him, a few managing to strike him. Angered, Grimmjow used sonido to appear next to Juhabach and quickly swung his sword at him. Having saw this coming, Juhabach blocked and leaped back to create some space. Grimmjow kept coming at him, while Ichigo recovered and joined him.

_He's suddenly not attacking. Why the sudden switch to defense? What's he planning?_ Grimmjow wondered. What neither of them noticed was that Juhabach was making his way towards his foot-soldiers where a certain female stood, unaware of what was about to happen. Juhabach jumped back one last time, landing right next to Halibel.

"Shit, Halibel!" Grimmjow shouted, but it was too late. Juhabach had already grabbed her and was holding his sword to her throat.

"I've had enough of this foolishness. You will come with me, or she will die."

**Meanwhile...**

"You guys sure are tough." Isshin sighed, lazily blocking the attacks of Haschwald.

"You aren't even taking this seriously. Why don't you fight with your full power?" The light haired man asked.

"There's no need to yet. The real question is, why aren't _you_ fighting at full strength?" Isshin asked, smirking as Haschwald narrowed his eyes. A sudden explosion distracted both of them, and a small figure came flying out of the massive dust cloud. Isshin quirked an eyebrow as he noticed the white hair and Captains haori, and then quirked the other one as a head of orange hair appeared out of nowhere and caught him.

"M-Matsumoto...where have you been?" Toshiro asked, completely oblivious to the pair of eyes watching them.

"Sorry Captain, I had to go get someone really quick. It kinda...took a bit longer than expected. You know how hard he is to find." Rangiku said, smiling sheepishly. Toshiro groaned.

"You brought him with you? Where is he then?"

"Ah, he's right— oh...good question."

"MATSUMOTO!"

The two suddenly jumped as a boisterous laugh cut off their soon to be argument, looking over to the source. Their eyes widened dramatically.

"C-captain?" They both asked, staring at Isshin with confused expressions.

"Rangiku, Toshiro! So good to see you again! Still arguing like children I see. Ah, nothings changed at all ne?" Isshin laughed.

"Captain...Shiba? Is that really you?" Toshiro asked, not believing his eyes.

"It sure is, Toshiro! Or should I say Captain Hitsuguya? My, you've grown so much! And my lovely Rangiku, still so beautiful!" Isshin said, suddenly grunting in pain as two fists smashed into his face.

"You IDIOT!" They both yelled, eyes twitching as the man stood up and laughed as if nothing happened.

"Still as tough as ever!" He chuckled.

"Where have you been all these years?! You lazy son of a bitch, you left me in charge of the squad until Captain took over! Do you have any idea how much paperwork I had to do?!" Rangiku yelled while Toshiro nodded his head.

"Our division nearly collapsed because you left her in charge instead of me. What's your excuse?"

"Yeah, you— Hey, wait a minute! I wasn't that bad!"

"Calm down, children. I suppose I owe you an explanation. Another time, perhaps, when we're not surrounded by enemies." Isshin said, the three suddenly remembering that they had been fighting earlier and were now about to get pounced on by two different Quincies.

"You're right. But tell us one thing, Captain. Why are you here?" Toshiro asked, holding his sword up in defense.

"Why am I here, you ask? That's a silly question, Toshiro. I'm here for the same reason you are. To protect Karakura...and my son." Isshin said, ignoring the surprised stares of his former lieutenant and third seat. Haschwald suddenly attacked, to which Isshin blocked easily with his sword. Bambietta, having noticed Rangiku's sudden appearance, glared at the woman's chest and then at her own. With a snarl, she lunged at the strawberry blonde, only to get impaled by an elongated sword.

"W-what?" She sputtered, coughing up blood. Her eyes followed the long blade, until she was met with a grinning face.

"Ah, I found him." Rangiku said, voice flat. Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"My my, what a mess we have here, ne Ran-chan? Looks like we came just in time."

"Ichimaru." Toshiro sighed, nose wrinkling in disgust as Rangiku tackled Gin, smothering him in her chest.

"Well, I suppose now that he took care of her, I can go help somebody else." And with that, Toshiro flash stepped away, leaving the two to their antics.

**Back to Ichigo...**

_What do I do? If we choose to go with him, we'll all just end up back in that room. But if I refuse...she'll die here._

Ichigo glanced over at Halibel's fraccion, who were watching with terrified eyes.

_I can't let her die...but if she goes back to that room, it'll be worse than death...damnit, what do I do?_

He looked over at Grimmjow who seemed just as conflicted. Suddenly, the sky ripped open, revealing the blackness of the garganta. Every soul reaper and quincy froze, wondering what their leader was doing

_He opened a garganta? But why? I thought he used that shadow thing to return to the base...unless..he's just trying to lure us in. That has to be it. He wants us to panic._

"If you do not answer me, I will just take her back with me and she will suffer there. Then I will return for you. So I will ask one last time. Either you all come with me, or I will kill her. Which do you chose?"

Several blurs appeared around Juhabach, but were quickly cut down. Ichigo suddenly had a flashback of Aizen easily cutting down every Captain that came at him. It was like deja vu. Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin, Toshiro, Byakuya, Renji, even Rukia. They were all cut down by Juhabach. All while Halibel watched with wide, fearful green eyes. Ichigo knew what he had to do.

"We'll come with you."

**A/N: Meh, not happy with this one. I'm just too distracted to write. But the story is progressing, I guess that's good. I have another problem now, though. Since Zangetsu isn't even Zangetsu, and he's actually Juhabach, I should probably incorporate that in here somehow, right? I just don't know how. But hey, I've already messed up a lot already, so why not mess it up more? -.- This is why you wait for the manga to be finished before writing something about it. Anywho, review if you want.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sooo...remember when I said my inspiration for this fic had come back? Yeeeah...I lied. It's definitely not back. But if it's any consolation, I haven't really wanted to update any of my stories. What I REALLY want to do is start a bunch of new ones, or go back and fix some older ones. That's possible, right? I hope so, since my older fics really need some editing. I wasn't as good a writer as I am now...and I'm really not even a good writer now either. But I've improved some, I guess. Maybe one day when I've gotten better I'll come back and redo this story. Lord knows it needs it. Maybe when the Manga is done I'll come back. At least then I'll know how it all ends. But anywho, I'll try making this chapter better than the last. No promises, though.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

Ichigo did _not_ want to be here right now. He had known all along that he would end up here again, of course, but actually being back in these restraints...it wasn't good. Horrible memories lie in this room. He could still hear the screams of him and Halibel, and feel the utter hopelessness crawl over his skin. The smell of blood still remained, Ichigo briefly wondered if the previous mess had been cleaned up. Looking at the blood soaked ground, he got his answer. _Disgusting_. This time though, it would be worse. Not only was he back here, in the reeducation room, but so were Halibel and Grimmjow. And Ichigo knew exactly what he would have to witness in just a few moments. Last time was bad— really bad— but now he had angered the King. His punishment would be worse.

"I don't think I need to explain anything to you three, since you've all been in this situation before. Halibel, Ichigo, you are quite used to my ways. Grimmjow however has only had the pleasure of dealing with Aizen. Which is why I am starting your punishment early instead of giving you time to rest. Ichigo, I believe you are due for another few doses of Quincy reiatsu. What do you say to oh...ten or so?" Juhabach said, his voice eerily calm despite the inner rage Ichigo knew he was feeling. His eyes rounded at that last statement.

_T-ten..? Last time...the most I had was at least five or so...And that was enough to draw my full hollow out! Christ...this might kill me! But no...he doesn't want me dead. He just wants me to join him. So then...will this be enough to completely erase my_ _other powers?_

"Surprised? You shouldn't be. You have delayed my plans for long enough, and you have made me quite angry. This is what you will get. And when you wake, I'll have something very special waiting."

_When I...wake? Shit...this will knock me out._

Ichigo didn't have much more time to think after that, since Juhabach grabbed two handfuls of syringes and all at once plunged them into Ichigo's chest, emptying their contents. A blood curdling scream ripped through Ichigo's throat as he thrashed about in his restraints before his body fell limp. Juhabach was pleased to see the lack of another appearance from Shiro. Turning to face Grimmjow and Halibel, who were adjacent to each other, the Quincy King smirked at their shocked faces.

_Were they expecting something else? Or were they expecting Ichigo to be stronger and not pass out? They must not realize how weak he has become. The fools._

"Now, as for you two...what to do, what to do...how about a little warm up? Halibel, you remember this treatment, yes?" Juhabach looked into the woman's terrified green eyes, glad to see the same haunted look she had the last time she had been here. "I take that as a yes. Since Grimmjow is new, why don't we show him what's in store?" He said, picking up a heavily used whip with little thorns covering it.

"Ah, I suppose I will show some mercy and inform you of what I have done to improve this weapon. You remember these thorns, yes? Well, I had them switched. You see, one of my stern ritters is a master of fear. He also has thorns that drive fear into the very souls of someone when they are hit by one. Just one hit is enough to drive a person insane enough to kill themselves. However, I didn't want you dying yet, so I had him create these miniature ones and one of my weapon specialists put them on this whip. I don't think I need to explain what will happen now, do I?"

Had any of them chosen to answer, they wouldn't of had the chance. Juhabach had struck Halibel immediately after his explanation. Grimmjow ground his teeth together as the crack of the whip filled the room multiple times, along with Halibel's shrill cries. The smell of blood grew stronger almost immediately. Grimmjow grew tense when the whip was set down, and Halibel was breathing heavily now. But it seemed her treatment wasn't finished yet. Juhabach then picked up a metal rod which Grimmjow recognized immediately. Little electric sparks illuminated the dark room before larger ones were emitted. Grimmjow couldn't watch as Halibel was struck with the electric rod, her skin getting covered in burns. He knew that pain all too well.

Then, when that was finally over, he grabbed a bucket of something that smelled awful and poured it over the battered woman's body, getting it in her fresh wounds. Whatever the liquid was, it seemed to burn the rest of her body and left her skin smoking. Then Grimmjow shuddered as the King turned to him, whip back in hand. It was his turn. And whatever those little thorns were made of, they really did make Grimmjow's chest constrict and his skin crawl from pure fear. But he bit his lip hard to keep from crying out. He wouldn't be weak and give in. No, he would make it out of this. But this only angered the King more, making the hits come harder and faster. His lip was bleeding from biting it so hard, yet he refused to show weakness.

"Stubborn fool! Just like that brat Kurosaki, trying to defy me! We'll just see how long you last!" Juhabach growled, throwing the whip onto the table and grabbed a much larger electric rod. Grimmjow hissed as his skin was burned and his body was shocked, and occasionally whimpered, but that was it. Again, the King was furious. Throwing the rod down, he scanned over the table a bit, looking for something. Grimmjow too observed all of the torture devices, recognizing most of them. Multiple buckets had also been placed out, varying in size and color. Halibel's had been relatively small and white, but when Juhabach spotted the one he wanted, Grimmjow gulped. It was big. Not the biggest one he had, but at least twice the size of Halibel's. And it was pitch black.

This time, Grimmjow did scream as the molten hot liquid was suddenly dumped on him.

Acid. Some kind of acid. That's what it was.

It left Grimmjow's skin raw and only made his other wounds worse. Some had gotten in his eyes and mouth, making his throat burn painfully and his vision blur. He belatedly noticed that both his and Halibel's clothes were barely there, hardly covering what they needed to. Grimmjow didn't like that. Aizen had always left them completely naked, but Juhabach seemed to enjoy slowly stripping them in a more subtle way. He then wondered what kind of surprise the man was planning when Ichigo woke up. If this had just been a warm up...what the hell was considered as a surprise?

Grimmjow didn't want to find out.

* * *

Ichigo woke up in his inner world, surprised to see it crumbling. He looked around, searching for his zanpakuto, worrying some when he couldn't find him.

"Zangetsu? Where are you?" He called out, beginning to panic when he received no answer. "Anyone here? Pantera? Shirosaki?" He tried again, but got no response. Had his hollow and zanpakuto vanished? And what about his shared power with Grimmjow? Did everything get wiped out by all of the Quincy reiatsu? This only made Ichigo panic more.

"Zangetsu! Answer me, ZANGETSU!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, fearing the worst for his sword.

"Ichigo.." A deep, familiar voice said behind him, sending a chill down his spine. The voice was almost too familiar.

"Zangetsu.." He breathed out in relief as he spun around, breath hitching as he looked at his zanpakuto. Zangetsu suddenly looked...different. So much like..someone, but Ichigo didn't know who.

"Ichigo, your inner world is crumbling because of the new reiatsu inside of you. It is slowly taking over and blocking out all of your other powers. Soon, everything will be gone, and if the reiatsu continues to be injected into you, you will forever be a Quincy." The dark haired man said, looking far too calm considering he was about to be wiped out.

"Yeah, I know, but how can I stop it? And where's Shiro? What happened to that portal that led to Grimmjow's world?"

"It is all gone. The portal has been destroyed and your hollow has been swallowed up by this mess. As for how you stop it...you don't." Zangetsu explained. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"G-gone..? But then, how are you still here? And what do you mean I can't stop it?!" Ichigo yelled, becoming angry. Zangetsu may be a calm person, but something wasn't right. He was way too calm for someone who was about to be wiped out. "Zangetsu, what do you mean?!" He yelled again when the sword spirit stayed quiet.

"Ichigo...it is as I said. And also...there is something you should know. When you look at me, are you not reminded of someone? When you hear my voice, does it sound familiar?"

"Zangetsu...why are you asking this? I...I mean, you do look different somehow...and your voice is familiar I guess. But..I don't know why."

"I ask, because for all of this time, you have been avoiding asking the questions that have been in your mind. Why is it, that when you broke free from Quilge's prison and entered Soul Society, you knew where to go? What led you to Juhabach's exact area? And when you learned how to use a zanpakuto, why did you learn from a hollow? Why has your hollow been helping you all along?" Zangetsu asked, making Ichigo go pale. Was this true?

_Looking back...Shiro really has been there all along. Learning bankai, nearly dying, fighting Ulquiorra...it was always him...but what does that mean?_

"Zangetsu...what are you getting at?"

"Ichigo, I am not Zangetsu."

He froze, body going numb. Not...Zangetsu? How could that even be possible?

"W-what..?" Was all he could say.

"Have you not realized yet, Ichigo, who I resemble so much? Can you not see that I am the very man who is trying to break you apart and then rebuild you as his soldier?" Zangetsu asked, making Ichigo gasp.

"You can't be...it's not possible! He's...he's out there! And you're...you don't look exactly like him! You're not like him! He's...a monster..."

"It is true. This is his form from a thousand years ago. I am and am not Juhabach." He said, gesturing to his form. Ichigo felt like this was some sort of nightmare.

"I don't understand...I don't get it!" He shouted, looking at Zangetsu, or rather Juhabach, with tormented eyes. "Are you an enemy...an ally? Have you been lying to me this whole time, about everything?!"

"I am not an ally...nor an enemy. I am merely the source of your Quincy powers. Everything I have told you thus far has been the truth...all except for my name."

"This can't be happening..." Ichigo said, his voice a harsh whisper.

"I never wanted you to become a shinigami..This whole time, I have been suppressing your full powers and have tried to be the core of what power you did have." Juhabach continued explaining.

"...Why..?"

"Why? Is it so strange for me to want to keep you away from that? If you were to be a shinigami, you would get hurt and suffer...and I would one day have to kill you with my own hands." He said, a white sword beginning to appear by his hand. Ichigo's fists clenched as his eyes widened and then turned sad. "You mustn't become a shinigami. If you do, I'll have to kill you." He continued, grabbing the sword by it's hilt.

"...Or so I thought." Ichigo's eyes widened.

"But you did eventually become a shinigami. You had a chance, trained hard, and even though you felt pain and suffered, you continued on and pursued that path. Whenever I saw you like that...my heart wavered." Juhabach closed his eyes. "And eventually...instead of stopping you from becoming a shinigami...my heart started to help you down that path. And now...I'm even happy to step back."

Much to Ichigo's horror, the man before him started crumbling into pieces and fading away. Even if he had been lying this whole time, this was still a person who had been there for him. It wasn't right to see him suddenly disappearing, crumbling away like the rest of this world.

"Ichigo, I have been able to watch you grow. All this time, I have been close to you. I couldn't be happier. I'm satisfied."

"Wa...wait! Zangetsu, I still haven't—" Ichigo didn't finish as the man before him shut his eyes for what could be the last time. Seeing Ichigo run at him with such fear in his eyes was too much.

_And he still...calls me Zangetsu, after everything..._

The rest of 'Zangetsu' vanished, making Ichigo stop. All that remained was the sword which seemed to be made of flames. Ichigo was surprised to hear Zangetsu's voice somewhere in the distance.

"Ichigo, what you've been using so far is just a part of your power...the part I wasn't able to suppress. Now you can finally fight with your own strength. Take it with you, that is your real zanpakuto, Zangetsu."

Then, there was nothing but a bursting flash of white light as Ichigo emerged back into a cold, cruel reality, where a not so nice Juhabach was waiting.

* * *

By the time Ichigo awakened, Juhabach had done far more damage to Grimmjow and Halibel, though more to the former than the latter. Grimmjow was in terrible shape, but was relieved to see Ichigo awake. Well, somewhat relieved. Now this mysterious surprise would be revealed.

"Ah, awake so soon? Glad to see you're still full of surprises, my son. And with perfect timing. I have business to attend to right now, so your surprise will be in here to...keep watch. I have given him specific instructions, but I do not care to watch these kinds of things, therefore I won't be back until much later." Grimmjow didn't like that. Not at all. What could be so bad that the King of evil himself wouldn't want to see? The bluenette got an answer when the door suddenly opened and one single man walked in. He was just some random soldier, but Grimmjow didn't like the way he looked. He looked...well, to put it simply, like a pervert. Like some sort of pedophile or rapist.

"Remember your instructions, and we won't have a problem. Alert me when you are finished." And with that, the King made his leave as the soldier bowed to him. The door shut with an audible click, and then there was silence. The soldier slowly turned to the three, a sinister grin on his face as he walked over to inspect his captives.

"My, my, I must be one lucky soldier. I can't believe his Majesty entrusted me with three perfect beings such as yourselves. What a shame I'm only allowed to touch two of you.." He sighed, fingers tracing over Ichigo's cheek. Grimmjow growled at this, which didn't go unnoticed by Ichigo or the man.

"Ah, does this make you angry, espada? Hm, but with such odd spirit energy, can you really be called that? I think I'm going to enjoy you the most, defiant little panther. Let's begin, shall we? I am on a time limit." The man grinned, pulling out a syringe full of an odd liquid. Grimmjow couldn't do anything as it was injected into his system, feeling the effects almost immediately. He knew what it was. Aizen had given it to him plenty of times.

"You..bastard..." He managed to grind out as his body went limp.

"Easy now, don't speak so much. You'll need your voice soon." He said almost softly as he pulled a lever, watching as Grimmjow fell to the floor. His whole body was paralyzed, yet his senses were heightened. Any little touch was too intense, so when he hit the hard, cold ground he cried out in pain. When Aizen had given him this drug, nothing felt good. Even the slightest brushing of skin felt like touching a roaring fire, or getting stabbed by knives. He should have known Juhabach would use the same drugs.

"Mmm, you look quite tempting like that, my little kitty cat." The man said, circling Grimmjow like a vulture does it's prey. Grimmjow growled, which turned into a yelp as his shirt was suddenly torn off. He didn't like where this was going and began to panic.

"You wouldn't.." Grimmjow managed to say, his breathing shallow from panicking. Halibel gasped, realizing what was about to happen. She had seen this countless times before.

"Ah, and yet I would and gladly will, as were my orders. You're quite special, kitty cat. The King usually doesn't allow this. He says it's too barbaric for our kind. But he's in quite the hurry, you see. Little berry over here held us up too long, so now he's gotta break out the big guns. He wants all of you completely broken, inside and out, within only a few days. And I'm happy to help." As he said this, he tore Grimmjow's already shredded hakama off, making the bluenette cry out in both pain and misery. He was about to get completely defiled right in front of the love of his life, and Halibel, who would soon be getting the same treatment.

"Don't you dare! If you fucking touch him, you're dead, hear me?! DEAD!" Ichigo roared, thrashing about. Up until this point he wasn't sure what the man was planning, but now it all clicked and he was furious. He couldn't let this happen. Not to anyone, not to Grimmjow...

"My, so angry! How truly frightening. Do you have some sort of claim on him, berry?" He asked, one finger making it's way down Grimmjow's spine. Grimmjow groaned in pain, the feeling of just a finger driving him insane. He felt like a knife was being pulled down his back.

"I said don't!" Ichigo growled, beyond furious now. He hated not being able to do anything.

"Your anger is quite the turn on, Mr. Kurosaki. I'm afraid I can't wait any longer. I have orders, of course." And with that, the Quincy removed his pants, releasing his already hard cock, and without so much as preparation roughly entered Grimmjow from behind. The scream that pierced Ichigo's ears was enough to make him cry out, angry tears springing to his eyes. Halibel too released a sob, turning away from the scene.

"My, you must have been neglecting him, Mr. Kurosaki. He's so tight." The disgusting man said. Ichigo released a powerful scream, because he was right.

He had neglected Grimmjow.

Their relationship had been torn apart and never got to be fixed. At that moment, he wanted to cry out. He wanted to tell Grimmjow he still loved him and wanted to be with him. He should have told him sooner, before all of this happened. But it was probably too late now. His words would do nothing. So he chose to keep his thoughts to himself. It was too late...he had let Grimmjow down. The man was traumatized before from Aizen, and now would probably never be the same. He had no right to say he loved him now. He had ruined everything.

As the man tore through Grimmjow, Ichigo cried, feeling full of self loathing and despair. He couldn't do anything. His reiatsu was suppressed far too much. As much as he wanted to believe someone would save them, he knew it wouldn't happen. Everyone had been injured in Karakura Town. No, all he could do was squeeze his eyes shut and listen to his ex-lover scream in pain. The man's hands wandered all over Grimmjow's back, his nails leaving claw marks. Grimmjow was openly sobbing now from the pain. He hated showing how bad it hurt, but it was simply unbearable. He wanted to just die so the pain and humiliation would stop. As the man fisted his hair and gave one last rough thrust, Grimmjow blacked out from pain. Ichigo cracked his eye open when everything was suddenly quiet, gagging as the man stood up and put Grimmjow back in his restraints. He then turned to Halibel who was shaking far too much. Ichigo couldn't blame her.

"Don't...just stop...stop already.." Ichigo said, his voice hoarse.

"Where's the fun in that? Now come, my darling woman espada. It's your turn." He said, pulling out another syringe with the same drug. Halibel soon fell to the floor, screaming as the man flipped her over with his foot. He wasted no time tearing off her shirt, followed by her skirt. She was still in release form, after all.

"Ah...so beautiful." The man admired, his hand traveling down her chest. Ichigo had to look away as it went lower and lower, until a loud scream made him jump. "Mmm, and a beautiful voice too. This will be fun."

Ichigo wished he would just go deaf so he wouldn't have to hear her scream like that. He wanted to protect her, to save her from this life. She had been living like this since becoming an espada, only with Juhabach it was worse. She had said he never did this to her...or anyone else. This was probably the first time since Aizen. The thought made him sick.

He couldn't protect her.

Or Grimmjow.

Or anyone from the Soul Society.

Not even himself.

What happened to the hero he used to be? He had taken down Aizen! But then, he had help from Urahara. Nobody could help him now. Nothing would ever be the same after this...

"My, so sad. What's wrong?" The man suddenly said, making Ichigo gasp and jump. He must have spaced out, since Halibel was back in her restraints, passed out like Grimmjow. The man was dressed now, thankfully. But he was much too close for comfort.

"G-get away!" Ichigo yelled, writhing in a feeble attempt to escape.

"So nervous! I'm not gonna touch you, berry. Not in the orders, you see. Although...the King isn't here yet...and you're just so tempting, all scared like this." He said, his hand wandering up Ichigo's thigh. Ichigo let out a choked sob as the intruding hand found his flaccid cock, grabbing it roughly.

"STOP!" He yelled, screwing his eyes shut. The man licked his cheek, taking his tears along with it. He then started undressing Ichigo, taking his time. Ichigo began shaking.

_This is it...I'm going to get raped...The worst possible thing that could happen, is happening, and nobody will help me. I can't do anything...God, why couldn't I just die?_

The man began to take Ichigo's hakama off when a bright blue arrow suddenly shot through his skull, making blood splatter over Ichigo. When the body fell to the floor, Ichigo only cried more, seeing a pissed off Juhabach in the doorway.

"I can't even finish a simple ceremony without some fool disobeying me!" He roared, blasting the body with more arrows. "But...I suppose this will be a good opportunity for you. You are my successor, after all. You should know what happens in this room."

Successor? Ichigo didn't know what he was talking about, but all questions he had were forgotten at Juhabach's next sentence.

"Uryu, come in here. I have something to show you."

**A/N: Meehhh...I'm an awful person. I feel really bad, trust me, but it will get better! And yes, I copied some text from the Manga. Don't sue me for plagiarism! I just...needed to borrow some words is all. Ichigo might also seem...OOC maybe? I mean, normal Ichigo would just unleash his full power and fight instead of acting like such a wimp. But I figured, hey, if I had gone through everything he did up until this point, I probably wouldn't be myself either. But wimpy Ichigo isn't here to stay. You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see why though! Now, I just spent like...three hours writing this. It's literally five in the morning. So, I'm off to bed. When will I actually get this posted? It's a mystery!**


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